


Wick'd

by INeedMoreHadesBeforeISwoon



Series: Trellis and Vine [1]
Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Anal Plug, Analytical Persephone, Assisted Masturbation, Bisexual Male Character, Blame my Muses, Body Image, But it does get dark, But maybe a sequel, Coping, Curious Persephone, Dealing With Trauma, Dorks in Love, Escape, Exhibitionism, F/M, Falling In Love, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Foreplay, Forgive Me, Gods and Goddesses, Hades is a soft bottom, Hades loves it in the ass, Headaches & Migraines, I built a metaphor, I had to upgrade the rating, I started with a plan, Idiots in Love, Intense, Kings & Queens, Kink Exploration, Lube, Masturbation, No such thing as too much lube, None of the Pack dies, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pegging, Persephone Takes Charge, Persephone is a smug top, Rape Recovery, Revelations, Rise of the Dread Queen, Sexual Tension, Size Difference, Smash the Patriarchy, Stalking, Strap-Ons, Strong Female Characters, Technically done, The Plan Said FuckYou, Trying out things you've only read about, Violence, Voyeurism, Were you paying attention, Written by a dog mom, animal cruelty, fleshlight, prostate, sexual awakenings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:34:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23129362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/INeedMoreHadesBeforeISwoon/pseuds/INeedMoreHadesBeforeISwoon
Summary: Written in response to a "theoretical occurrence" prompt on the official LO FB page.Essentially - "I keep thinking about what would really set Hades off. We've already seen glimpses of his anger but we've not yet seen him completely lose his shit. We know he can't stand Apollo and one reason he likes being in the Underworld is because Apollo doesn't go there. We know he hates anyone trespassing on his property. We know he adores his dogs. We know he's very fond of Persephone and is protective of her and if he ever finds out what Apollo did to Persephone he's going to be upset about it.I wonder, what if what triggers Hades into a blackout rage is a combination of things?"Thanks, Courtnie, for the incredible opportunity to build out this scenario!
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus)
Series: Trellis and Vine [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1676242
Comments: 208
Kudos: 467





	1. Seeds

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, obviously, this fic will get dark. And obviously, I have a reputation for feels and trauma-drama. So, obviously, I tried to one-shot this, but my other reputation for long-ass fics got in the way, again. 
> 
> It's gonna be chaptered, but it should still end up shortform (less than 10 chapters). Please hang with me for the ride!
> 
> Warnings for this fic will include all of the following, additional warnings to be added by chapter as needed:
> 
> References to past trauma - including (obvs) Apollo's rape of Persephone  
> References to and coping with stalking behaviors  
> Scenes of domestic violence and abusive and manipulative behaviors  
> And the promised "black-out rage." 
> 
> Please pay attention to the tags as you move through the fic, I will update the main work's tags we go along to reflect the more recent updates. 
> 
> Edited on 3-27-2020 - Additionally, after further reflection, it may be possible to skip chapter 7 entirely if you wish to avoid all the violent scenes. Everything else is reference and reflection only. If you choose to try this fic that way, let me know how it works or not for you....
> 
> And as always, the world and characters of Lore Olympus belong to Rachel Smythe (usedbandaid). I'm merely playing - once again - in her headspace.
> 
> NOTE TO READERS: Many writers here and on other fanfic sites are "locking" their fics to prevent 3rd party apps from benefiting from our intellectual property. However, with all the quarantines and lockdowns, I thought I'd leave this open to everyone for a while yet. 
> 
> Edited April 16 - We're all still on quarantine. I'm gonna leave this open for a while yet. I will update with at least 7 days warning before I lock this fic, if I decide that route....

“I shouldn’t be here; I didn’t mean to just, um, up and drag you into all my mess. I’ll just – ”

“Persephone, wait, please!”

She stopped in her tracks, half-turned toward him, the Underworld’s ever-falling mists forcing her shoulder-length hair to swing heavily over her ear with the damp. She peeked at him through the draggled edges, uncertain if she should even _let_ him convince her.

But how she wanted that safe harbor in this midst of this storm.

“Persephone, I told you once before, and I have not changed my mind. I’d help you, with anything. Drag me into your mess any time!”

He beamed, and she giggled.

How could he feel so much more like the sun than the one who was supposed to manage the sun…?

“Thanks, Hades….”

“Besides, you came all this way, and the dogs would just, you know, hate me if you left without saying hello. OH!” He turned on his heel, dashing through the living area away from her, disappearing down a hallway. She stalked closer to the opened sliding door, wondering if she should wait for him to reappear before she stepped inside.

The clattering of dozens of puppy-nails on the floors decided for her. She ducked in through the egress, shoving hard to seal the portal and flipping the latch the instant before Cerberus led the rest of the pack into the living room in a beeline straight for her.

She dropped her messenger bag and went to her knees, hands and purse-lipped kisses striving to evenly distribute affection through the writhing, boiling army of fur and peanut-butter-smelling breath.

She laughed, a small part of her mind trying to think how long it had been since she’d felt her worries all fall away like this.

“Ahem….”

She looked up from giving Russell ear-ruffling noogies to see Hades with his hands hidden behind his back, rocking up and down from his toes to his heels with a smug look on his face. His dimples were showing, and she tried not to blush.

_At least he’ll think it’s just from playing with the dogs, right?!_

“Persephone, may I have the pleasure of introducing you to….”

He pulled his hands around, and Persephone shot into the air, leaving a very indignant Cordon Bleu grumbling as he paced away through the dancing feet of the rest of the pack. She cooed and murmured as she drifted toward Hades and the miniscule brown and white dog; the little thing was sitting proudly in one large blue palm, a bright pink collar wrapped around its neck. Hades held his other hand close by, just in case, and Persephone’s heart melted a little at how utterly endearing his caution was.

“To…?!” She was still waiting for the newest member of the family’s name, and she thought she’d explode from the suspense.

“Pomelia….”

The tiny dog still seemed tiny in her own hands when Persephone accepted her from Hades; if their fingers lingered a little too long in the transference, she only realized it later by the tingling sensation that almost burned her skin….

“Hi, Pomelia…. Oh, aren’t you just precious…?!”

Cuddling the silky-furred dog to her chest, she drifted back to the floor, moving for the couch to settle in for a good long adoration session.

“She is, isn’t she…?”

She craned her neck around to smile brightly at Hades, and she wondered if he had meant Pomelia, or her own self….

_I need to tell him…. Yep…._

_But I need to get my thoughts together first. Help me with that, little Pommy?_

The tiny dog nuzzled her head under Persephone’s chin, and the pink goddess melted even more as she flopped to the couch and half of the dog pack jumped up to crowd close on both sides, Big John and Cerberus taking up positions by her feet while Cordon Bleu glared from a rumpled blanket near the television cabinet.

* * *

Hades settled the steaming mug of chamomile tea to the coffee table on a high-edged coaster: a worthy precaution, considering the pack of pups might decide it was playtime any minute. He picked Russell up bodily and sat in the red dog’s place on the couch, little more than a foot away from Persephone; he plopped his spaniel’s grumble-napping form onto his lap with an affectionate skritch on the back of the neck before chuckling into his glass of watered wine. Persephone looked up at him from her devoted attention to brushing Pomelia’s already-shining tail and ear-fluffs, a sheepish grin on her face.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be ignoring you! I just, we never had dogs, and she’s sooooo cyooot!”

_The way you just crinkled your nose is the cyoootest thing I’ve ever seen in more than two-thousand years. Do it again?_

“It’s okay; she’s worth it….”

He gulped down a soft-burning mouthful of summer-tasting bitterness when she looked up at him, a too-aware look on her face.

_Shit. Not supposed to flirt, right…._

“Hades, I…. I really should explain what I’m doing here. I mean, it’s one thing to call you at two in the morning that one time, before we had our talk, but it’s another thing to show up unannounced and uninvited to your home and just expect you to help me fix my problems without any explanation! But thank you, for being patient. I just…. I need a little more time….”

She panted a little, staring at him with her chest heaving, before she seemed to realize how much she had not-quite-said; she diverted her attention back to brushing Pomelia’s gleaming coat, and Hades sipped another taste of his wine.

_Okay, something’s up, but if you’re not careful, if you push too hard, she’ll shut down. She’ll be up front with you; didn’t she prove that over the whole eyeball thing a couple weeks back!? Just relax. Let her lead here…._

“Alright, Persephone. Time I can give. I have a few things I could work on in my study, and that’ll give you some peace for your thoughts. Is that okay?”

Her expression shifted to one of such utter relief he _knew_ she needed help. He wouldn’t push, he’d let her call the shots, but he’d damn himself to Tartarus alongside his father if he screwed up whatever she ended up needing from him.

“Thank you. Yeah, I just…. It’s so _loud_ up in Olympus all the time now. I could really use the quiet.”

“Then let me disturb you no longer. My study’s down the right-hand hall, on the right, third door. If you hollered, I might hear ya, but you could also just text or call me if you need me.” He pulled his phone from his pocket as he stood, waggling it in her general direction to show he had it ready and waiting; Russell settled back in his butt-warmed spot on the couch as Hades left the living room, the pink goddess bundled beneath dogs behind him.

_Gods, please don’t take too long._

_You’re hurting, and I need to help you._

_I need you to feel as safe and cared for as you make me feel…._

He closed the door of his study behind him, dragging a hand down his face as he collapsed to the couch along the far wall a few heartbeats later.

_Hurry up, wine…._

_This headache has got to go away; you need to be at your best to help Persephone, whatever she needs…._

_Maybe a nap…._

He drained the last of his water-cut wine with a grimace, his head throbbing harshly as his head rocked back and then forward with the motion. He thunked the glass to the floor, swinging his bare feet up onto the couch and easing his head onto the pillow against the arm of the thing. His elbow crooked over his eyes, shutting out the dim light from the half-curtained window near the bookshelf.

_Been a while since I had one this bad…._

_But damn, it was worth the delay in getting this break to see her smile like that._

_Crinkled nose and all…._

_Damn…._

_…._

_I need to see it again sometime…._

* * *

Persephone checked her phone some time later, surprised to see it had been more than an hour since she arrived on Hades’ doorstep, heart in her throat and fears on her sleeve. The dogs were all sleeping peacefully, arrayed around her, over her feet in the case of Cerberus and Big John: even Cordon had deigned to return, accepting his place at her left hip as his rightful due. Pomelia was cuddled against the right side of her neck, perched and curled over the dip of her shoulder like a cat, and Persephone stared out at the misty-rainy Underworld landscape as she tried to gather her thoughts.

If she told Hades everything, he’d most likely feel honor-bound to go hunting for Apollo.

If she told him only part of everything, he’d help her in whatever way she asked, but he’d most likely know it wasn’t the whole truth….

If she told him everything, she could be done with this whole mess once and for all.

If she held back, things might get worse….

….

But how to tell the man she was falling in love with that she’d been raped by someone he obviously already had beef with?!

How to tell the King she worked for that her rapist was essentially still stalking her, refusing to listen to her when she asked him for….

No.

When she demanded space!

….

_You came all the way here, Persephone._

_You’re ready._

_You know he’ll only do exactly what you ask, so you just have to figure out what you want Hades to do, what role you want to allow him._

_He already told you he and Minthe are done._

_But he’s still been waiting for you to make that move. It’s your choice, it’s always your choice, he’s made that **perfectly** clear from the start._

_He respects you._

_You can trust him._

_Just figure out what you want him to do with all this…._

_…._

_What you need from him, and what you need to do for yourself…._

_…._

_I need a safe place to stay._

_I told that rat bastard to stay away from me, and he hasn’t. He’s constantly popping in and out, and I’m done. I refuse to be intimidated, but I can’t get away from him. And Arti won’t stay still long enough for me to even try to talk to her…._

_I need space. I need time. I need room to breathe._

_I need to stay here for a while, or somewhere down here, where Apollo won’t come. Hades said that stupid asshole doesn’t come here._

_That’s what I need from Hades._

_Just a safe place to stay while I figure out what’s next…._

_Breathing room…._

_Good thing his house is freakin’ huge…._

Her heart settled into a steadier rhythm as a sense of safety wrapped over her like a blanket. Finally, even if it was only a single small decision, she felt powerful.

She was going to take back her life from the one who had tried to ruin it. She was going to stand on her own two feet….

After all, the strongest vines still need something to lean on, something to hold to….

Hades would be her trellis, and she’d finally grow beyond this pain….

* * *

Pinging tones pulled him from his senseless slumber. Fumbling-blunt fingers pulled the dimly-glowing screen closer to his face, and though it took him a few seconds of blinking at the blurry words, he finally managed to piece it together.

_Text received from Persephone:_

_I think I’m ready to talk with you, but no rush. I’m fine out here with the dogs. I peeked in, you were asleep. If I did wake you, sorry._

The timestamp told him the message had come through almost two hours before.

_Shit!_

He scrambled off the couch, the empty glass from early clattering away over the floor as he kicked it with his bare foot on accident. He hop-wobbled his way to the door, his stubbed toe throbbing, but he grinned a little vaguely as he realized his headache was gone.

He made it back into the living room, Persephone’s pink hair visible over the back of his black leather couch. His heart skipped a couple of beats when she lifted her eyes to look at him, sparkling eyes that took in however he looked right now with an air of simple contentment, or determination…?

He realized he wanted to see those eyes peeking at him over his couch for the rest of eternity….

_Damn, Hades…. You’ve got it fucking bad…._

_Geddit together…._

_Whatever she needs…._

He tried to hide his gimp as he moved to the couch, stifling a yawn as he sank into the cushions. The dogs were playing in the yard, he noticed through the side window. Though, as always, Cordon’s definition of playing was to sit enthroned on the wicker lawn chair and sneer down his pointed nose at the antics of the others.

And Pomelia was romping with the rest of them, which made him smile brightly.

He finally shifted his gaze back to Persephone; the hard lines of her face stopped his heart once more….

_Gods above and fire below, she looks like a damn Queen…._

“Hades, I have to tell you about some things that have happened to me since I came to Olympus, but I want your word that you will ask me before you go haring off to do anything about them. No more taking eyeballs without talking to me first. I promise, I do need and want your help. But right now, I’m just…. I’m ready to start taking back control, and I need you to promise me you’ll respect me the same way you have been, letting me be in control and not taking my choices from me. Will you promise me that?”

She stared him down, and he felt himself give his will over to her like it was a tangible thing, a precious box made of _him_ , cradled in his palms and extended with every ounce of his heart beating through the offering.

“I’m yours to command, Persephone….”

She seemed a little shocked at his phrasing, but he could not have said it any other way.

_Yours, and I have been since I saw you…._

_Damn…._

_I’d wait eons for you yet, but please don’t make me wait so long…._

She cleared her throat, coughing demurely into one loose-clenched fist, and Hades melted inside.

_Daaaaamn…._

“Okay. Thank you for that, Hades….

“That morning, that night I called you at two o’clock…?”

He took a shaky breath as she started to tell him what she’d obviously kept hidden for weeks….


	2. Growth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning within for :
> 
> Straight-up thought processes about rape and the trauma associated thereto.  
> Thoughts on control and giving up control to another.  
> Slight personality-splits/shifts (they're not human, remember, just work with me)  
> Almost-loss of self-control.
> 
> The moment we all hope will happen soon, or Swoonie's rendition thereof.
> 
> Persephone finally tells Hades what happened to her, and who did it, and the King realizes some things about his little goddess....

“See, um…. Well…. Wow…. Th-this is turning out harder than I thought it would be….”

He watched her face carefully, sensing beyond words – his own, hers – that this was a critical moment for her. Her emotions played over her features, shifting, warring, battling through a random cycling spiral of some of the darkest shades of fear, sorrow, anxiety, and hatred that he had ever seen.

It wasn’t often that he considered himself as a god who was also a King; most times, he was both at once, and he preferred it that way. But sometimes, the King he was seemed to … separate itself from his mind and personality as Hades the god, and when that happened, the only way to describe it felt like he was – in fact – two beings viewing a situation from entirely different points on a compass.

At this moment, watching Persephone struggle to put her obviously torn and battered emotions into words to explain something dread to him so he might help her in the way she wanted – whatever that would be – at this moment, Hades the god wanted nothing more than to hold her and give her a safe space to breathe, to tell her she could take her time and he would wait until she was ready to tell him whatever this was all about.

The King of the Underworld, Receiver of Many, the Lord of Souls Passed Beyond: Hades the King was giving serious consideration to simply tearing the pain from her mind and ripping the Realms apart to give her justice for whatever had happened to her.

And therefore, Hades the god was praying to the Cosmos Above that Persephone would just spit it out before he lost control over this somehow suddenly-vicious part of his mind….

_I can’t remember ever having this visceral a reaction to a little emotional display…._

_It’s like: if I don’t defend her, protect her, avenge her, my Realm will crumble to dust…._

_But that’s stupid!_

_She’s just the girl I’m falling in love with!_

_…._

_No…._

_Don’t think about this now, focus!_

_She’s staring at you, you creep, focus!_

“Hades, you okay?”

“…. I…. I don’t know if I can really make sense of it right now. I promise I’ll try later, but right now, I…. I’d really appreciate if you could just do your best to explain what you feel you need to explain. But also, um, t-t-take your time….” _Oh sure, you just had to stutter right then too, dammit…._

She breathed in through her nose, squared her shoulders, and Hades barely resisted the urge to throw himself at her feet in worship and supplication.

_Cosmos dark and dread…. She is…._

_She’s my Queen…._

“Okay. There’s absolutely no easy way to say this, Hades, but please remember you promised not to go all berserk unless I ask you to…. That night, when we talked on the phone…. Just a little bit before I texted you, I was raped.”

Black.

Red.

Silence.

….

Her voice, dim and distant….

_Hades…?_

Her fingers on the back of his hand, and the world exploded….

* * *

_I said it…._

_I actually said it…!_

_Wow…. I feel…. I feel lighter, like I’m looking down on all that from high above, safe…._

_Um…._

_Did I break him?_

“Hades…?”

He was staring straight over her head, and she thought she felt a ringing in her ears, like the fuzzy kind of haze when she fell out of the tree that one time when she was nine. But, it also seemed like the wooly-stuffed feeling was _outside_ of her, not actually her own.

And he was staring straight over her head, unblinking, unmoving: a statue of cerulean granite, unfathomable in its Otherness….

She couldn’t stop herself from reaching for his hand, needing to feel the warmth of his skin, worried of a sudden that he was actually dead like a God could never be. Gods just don’t drop dead…!

Her fingers met his skin, and it was indeed still warm, but she was thrown back on the couch by a cold wind before she could take in a breath. Hades was _stalking_ away from the couch, there was no word for it: she had seen a mountain cat hunting a fawn, once, and he moved the same way.

Confident in his power, intent in his focus, and too close to beyond the reach of sensibility….

She watched, her pulse somehow steady in her veins, as he went to the window overlooking the wilderlands beyond the back of his home’s property line. He stood there, outlined in the faint Underworld’s ever-present blueish glow, and she felt a thrill vibrate over her body.

Something bloomed in her hair; she caught a freefalling blossom as it drifted to her shoulder. Oddly enough, her hair stayed the same length, even though she thought her emotions should be out of control.

She had never seen this flower before, but she knew its name in her soul.

_Asphodel…._

_Symbol of the realm of the dead…._

_One of the sigils of the King himself…._

* * *

* * *

__

* * *

* * *

She tore her gaze back to the King as a hollow breath was pushed from him. She saw the frost coat the windowpane, felt the cold spreading through the room from where he stood, but somehow, it didn’t chill her where she sat sprawled on the couch.

She felt warm….

“I’m sorry, Persephone, for my loss of control. Please grant me a moment to compose myself, and then I would prefer to hear everything you are willing and able to tell me…. However, I would also understand if that is all you wish to say. I am at your command, to whatever end….”

He stayed facing the window, the frost spreading over the glass from his breath, and she shivered finally: but stranger than before, it was almost a feeling of giddiness that came with that involuntary tremor.

_What the sugarsnaps is wrong with me!?_

“Of course, Hades. I don’t fault you for your reaction. Take your time; I’m not hurt….”

A rumble rolled through the room, without sound, felt but unheard.

_Did he just…. Did he growl…?_

_…._

_Why does that make me feel like I spawned butterflies in my stomach…?!_

She twiddled the asphodel blossom between her fingers, rolling it back and forth by the pointed throat, staring past it at her knees.

_I mean, Eros confirmed I’m a fertility goddess, but I’m not really ready to… do anything… with that yet. I still have to deal with all this Apollo … stuff before it gets worse, and **then** deal with TGOEM. _

_But this feels more like what I’ve read about…._

_The butterflies…. The tinglies…._

_Was I wrong to push Hades away when we took care of the eyeball thing?_

_…._

_No. It was the right choice, then, for that time…._

_But…._

_But denying what I’m feeling now, when so much else is up in the air and uncertain…._

_That would be beyond stupid._

_And I’m not some stupid village girl, not anymore…._

_I’m Persephone. I’m the goddess of Spring. I’m a valuable worker at Underworld Corps. I’m the daughter of one of the highest goddesses…._

_…._

_And I’m falling in love with Hades…._

* * *

_“Raped….”_

_“I was raped….”_

_“Rape….”_

_[[[“Hades, did you ever consider that the closest parallel to the trauma inflicted upon you would be something like rape…?”_

_He stared at his therapist, everything crashing inside his mind like a collapsing wall of marbled stone._

_“What…?”_

_“You were … taken, without your consent. Your body was harmed, in visceral, overwhelming ways…. You were unable to fight back, and your body was – forgive me the crudeness – touched in places only those you trust with your soul should have had access to. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and I think this is the closest parallel. Would you permit me to shift the tone of our sessions to something more aligned with how victims of rape need to process their traumas?”_

_The rope dangled before him, promising growth, healing, a lattice and trellis designed to help him claw his way back to some semblance of a normal life after everything…._

_“Yes, please…. Help me….”]]]_

He took a breath, the vicious cold of his Kingdom-bound rage dissolving as he fought his way out of the memories.

_Okay, Hades…._

_The wheel turns, and the student becomes the mentor…._

“Persephone, may I sit beside you again…?”

She giggled, and though he smiled into the frost-glazed window’s warped reflection of his own self, he waited patiently, refusing to assume anything after what he’d nearly done, what had been done to her.

She would always have her choices from him. Now, more than ever before, he could make no decision, take no action, without her permission.

She needed control.

He would see her take it with both hands, and he would smile from the shadows when she did….

“So formal, but yes, you may…!”

He kept his eyes on his toes until he was sitting back in his place on the couch, but he did not hesitate to look at her once he was settled.

_You’re not unworthy; you are worth so much more than what was done to you._

“I must apologize again for losing control. I beg your forgiveness, Persephone….”

Her hand rushed through the air, slapping down hard over his own clenched fist on his knee, molding over his skin as far as her fingers could reach. He refused to look away as her eyes beamed toward his own, but he had to fight down a surging rush of triumphant King-feeling once more at the utter openness of her gaze.

“I mean, I did drop a big giant bomb there. I completely understand, but thank you for calming down, for giving me space. I promise, I’m okay. I’m not afraid of you, Hades. In fact….” She swallowed, and he nearly combusted instantly from seeing the way her skin rippled around the motion. “In fact, I think I like seeing you so ready to explode for me. But not right now…. Basically, I….” She leaned back then, shyness creeping over her once more, and though he was relieved that the intensity of the moment was gone, that the danger of falling too deeply into that moment was removed:

He was clawing inside himself for the missed opportunity to feel her lips on his….

He noticed, though, that she didn’t tuck her arms around her body. He remembered how tightly he’d held himself those first few sessions with his therapist trying that line of attack, how his entire body language had shifted to close himself off from the too-open terror and pain.

She sat there, open, her hands flat to the couch cushions by her hips, one foot tucked beneath a knee, facing her trauma with a strength it had taken him years to even begin to find, and he knew, somehow, that he wasn’t the first person she’d told, or who had found out….

….

_Good, little goddess._

_You’re building an army…._

“Okay. Basically, um…. It was Apollo. And he won’t leave me alone. And I’m still supposed to be staying with Artemis, and she is hardly ever around long enough for me to even try to find a way to tell her. And she’s kind of oblivious; she really ought to be able to see how uncomfortable it is for me that he’s always coming over to her apartment, but she doesn’t. And I have demanded, over and over, that he leave me alone. But he won’t. He keeps coming around, trying to convince me that, I don’t know, that he wants to date, or wants me hanging on his arm like some simpering fool, a trophy or something, and I’ve done all I can to shove him out of my life, but he won’t go!”

She heaved for breath before peeking at him from the corner of her eye, her hair half-hiding her face from his. He attempted to maintain his calm composure, but….

_Time enough later to beat your own ass up for not just whaling on that little shit that night you took her home from Hera’s…. Focus, Hades…._

“You once said he doesn’t come down here. Is he forbidden, banned, or does he just not come here ‘cause he knows you don’t like him anyway…?”

“Ahem. He doesn’t come here because his stupid sun has no power here. He’s a coward, obviously, and beyond even that, his healing gifts have no power in the land of the dead. He knows better than to come here where he has no more power than some mortal….”

Her smile was vicious, and he grinned in return, feeling his power rising to meet the soft pushes he felt from her. He was sure she didn’t even realize she was becoming attuned to the Underworld’s soul-song, but he felt it, and it further solidified his growing attraction for this little goddess.

It made no sense, but somehow, Spring was meant to wed the ruler of the Dead….

_Later…. Focus now…._

“Good. I want to stay here, in the Underworld, while I figure out what to do about the bastard who raped me….”

_Good…. I want you to stay here, in my realm, while I figure out how to make you mine, so I can beat his ass for you, beautiful Fates-promised Queen…._

_Wait…._

“Um, by h-h-here, do you mean…?”

“OH! Um, well, I mean, you do have a lot of rooms, and it’s not like I’m a stranger, right?! And Cerberus is such a good boy, he’s already helped me get rid of Apollo once a couple weeks back….”

_The flower crown…._

“But, I mean, I know that would be a huge imposition, too, so, I mostly meant, I need your permission to stay in the Underworld, and I wanted your help figuring things out, you know, 'cause law and all…? I’d be happy finding an apartment, if they would just wait a little while for the rent….”

_Oh no you don’t…. Not when you’re here already…._

“Persephone, it would not be an imposition in the slightest. I would feel honored if you would find sanctuary in my home. And I would prefer it, indeed, if you allowed me to have Cerberus keep a closer watch over you whilst you are here. I am gratified to know he has already defended you. Please, may I… assign him as your bodyguard, of sorts?”

She cocked her head at him, seeming to consider the offer.

“Well, only if you promise not to get jealous if I pay him in bellyrubs and head-skritchies….”

….

_You have no idea what you do to me, goddess…._

“That is an acceptable method of payment. Please, wait right there for a moment. We need to do this properly.”

He rose from the couch again, standing to one side as he uttered a short, piercing whistle. He watched as Cerberus raised his head from mangling the canvas almost-duck-shaped toy, bounding toward the sliding glass door. Cerberus leaped, and Persephone gasped, but the horror shifted to delight as Cerberus seemed to melt through the glass, landing on the mud-mat with a soft grunt.

Hades extended one hand to his oldest dog, one hand to Persephone, and the hellhound moved closer, his eyes shifting to glow a haunting, ethereal green.

“Κέρβερος, δεσμός. Προστατεύω. Υπακούω.”

The dog’s quivering black snout brushed Persephone’s knee, and the green glow seemed to shine _within_ the magenta and jet bodies for a single heartbeat’s pulse. Then Cerberus sat, his tail beating a rapid tattoo against the coffee table’s leg, and Persephone panted, staring wide-eyed at Hades.

“The spell is removable. It binds him to you, giving him the power to understand your wishes as he understands my own. He will defend you at command. He will obey you in anything. I know he was already your good boy, but now, he can watch over you, even to the end of time.”

Persephone looked back at Cerberus, who took that moment to flap his chops wide and attempt to lick his eyeball for whatever strange, dog-logic reasoning.

Persephone laughed, and Hades chuckled with her, as Cerberus trotted toward the dog-door. He thundered his way back into the yard, bounding and barking over and around the rest of the hoard while Persephone and Hades attempted to compose themselves.

She stood, approaching him, and he resisted the urge to wrap her close to his chest, to lift her into his arms and keep her there forever.

_Only as much as she is willing to do…._

_Take no advantage, and make no assumptions…._

_Protect, but leave her will as her own…._

_Your future Queen deserves no less…._

“Thank you, Hades. I feel safer already.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he curled over her, returning the embrace with all he was thundering through his heart beneath her ear.

_Do you hear it, little goddess?_

_It’s yours, even if you’re not ready to hold it yet…._

_I’ll keep it for you, though…._

_One day… one day, you’ll keep it safe for me…._

He sheltered her with his body, and she began to drift back and forth from one foot to the other; he swayed with her, and they danced without music beside his couch as the not-quite-sun set over the mountains and fields of his realm….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Κέρβερος, δεσμός. Προστατεύω. Υπακούω. - "Kerberos, desmós. Prostatévo. Ypakoúo."
> 
> "Cerberus, bond. Protect. Obey."
> 
> Okay. I worldbuild. It's what I do. Sue me.
> 
> I wanted to make something very clear: while Hades is obviously the bestest man ever with the being respectful and giving Persephone all the control in this scene, in this moment in her life -
> 
> He is also a King. A god-King. 
> 
> He has instincts, and he's at a bit of a crossroads, himself, with regards to that. 
> 
> His King-self is recognizing Persephone for the match and mate she's destined to be to him.   
> His normal-self is just trying to be the bestest guy he's always tried to be, and give her the choices she needs and the power she needs to regain.
> 
> He's experiencing a bit of a conflict within himself, and I hope that didn't throw anybody for too much a loop.
> 
> Lemme assuage right now - HADES IS NOT GOING TO HURT PERSEPHONE, I WOULD NOT DO THAT TO Y'ALL!
> 
> But there may be some slightly off-beat moments, like him not explaining the Cerberus bond before he really just up and laid the whammy on Persephone there. She told him, yes, he could make Cerbie her bodyguard, and he just did it. Because as King, he HAS to protect his Queen. 
> 
> Anyhoo....
> 
> Y'all hang tight. It's Saturday, so it's drop night!
> 
> And I couldn't wait. 
> 
> Enjoy this nibble to get us through the next almost seven hours, dears!


	3. Roots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: within are themes and instances of
> 
> Unresolved and stifled sexual attraction  
> Unintentional flirting  
> Unexpected discovery of *intimate* items not one's own  
> Serious Migraine Issues  
> Hurt/Comfort elements - relating to the migraine  
> And avoiding discussions because why just talk about things when you could pretend they don't exist...?
> 
> I started off trying to build this to the Hades-Apollo beatdown we're all waiting on, and then Persephone told me there were other things that needed to happen first.... So, we shall see where she takes us....
> 
> Hop along for the ride, dears! It's gonna be fun!

“So, this room can be yours. It’s got plenty of closet space here….” He looked back at Persephone standing in the opened doorway, the pack at her heels and Cerberus at her side, one black ear smashed against her hip. Pomelia was once more balanced in Hades’ palm as he swept open the closet’s pocket door, revealing a walk-in space that was immediately illuminated under the motion-sensing overhead can-light.

_Uh-oh. Like she even needs all this space when she only brought one bag! Way to make her feel inadequate, Hades, way to go indeed!_

“I suppose I’ll need to arrange to get my stuff from Artemis’ place soon…. I mean, either that, or buy some stuff to tide me over….”

_Careful…. You know how she feels about gifts…._

“Ahem. As you are now officially my guest, it would be my duty and honor to extend to you xenia. This would entail providing you with necessities for your stay here…. And that could include clothing, since your own items are rather … inaccessible…. However, if you would prefer, we could certainly return to Olympus whenever you like and you could gather what you need. Cerberus will, of course, accompany you, and would be more than adequate protection in the unlikely event of an accosting by the one you wish to avoid….” _Stop. Rambling. Like. An. Idiot!_

“…. You can say his name, Hades. Honestly….” She moved further into the room, the six other dogs milling in the hallway, knowing they weren’t allowed in guest rooms without permission. Cerberus, however, per his new role, stayed right beside her hip as she approached the corner of the bed. She flung her bag onto the bed before turning and flopping onto the mattress beside the dangling shoulder strap. Her chest bounded a little beneath her cream-and-sand sweater and cardigan, and Hades couldn’t stop himself from swallowing. “Honestly, I didn’t realize I would feel so much _lighter_ , after actually saying it. He raped me…. When I said that, earlier, that was the first time I’ve ever actually used the word, I think. I mean, Eros used it when he….”

_I knew she told someone, but damn…. I need to find a way to thank that boy for helping her before I could…._

He was shocked that the twinge of jealousy faded so quickly; shouldn’t he be more angry, for longer, that some little upstart had usurped the role he so desperately craved: protector, confidant….

_Pull yourself together. Maunder later._

“I mean, Eros just…. He just _knew_ , somehow, and he was very blunt when he told me that it was, in fact rape…. And he’s been watching out for me as much as he can, but he’s still trying to find _his_ lost sweetheart, and between that and his parents trying to get past the whole Zeus thing….”

Hades chuckled as he leaned against the pocket-door’s jamb. “To hear you talk, you and Eros have become good friends…. Either that, or Olympus has got to you, and you’re turning into just another gossip….” He winked to take away the sting, and she let a mortified, horror-struck look take over her face: wide eyes, hand over her heart, other hand held palm-out on her forehead as her neck bent backwards.

“ _Oh, no…! Not a gossip!_ ” They laughed together, and Hades thought he could listen to the melody of her mirth for hours. Chimes and cardinal-song and the wind over a prairie: music of light and dancing life….

She lowered her hands to the bed beside her once more, and he was struck again by how different her body language now was. No tightly-wound fists; no rib-cracking self-embraces; no hunched shoulders….

“He is becoming a very good friend, you’ve got that part right. But anyway, what I was trying to say is…. I think it’s easier to be less afraid, to process it more, if I face all this a little more squarely. So, that’s what I’m going to try to do, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to ‘spare’ me pain or ‘avoid my triggers.’ I’m ready, I think, to just own up to the truth of what happened, and that includes using the words. Apollo. Raped. Me….”

Her chin jutted forward, defiance and power shone from her eyes, and Hades nearly sagged against the wall as his knees turned to river-silt.

_Goddess, beautiful and dread, what I wouldn’t give to see you render judgment on my throne…._

_…._

_Focus…._

“Well, then…. What _I_ was trying to say, is that it’s up to you, of course, but it would be quite simple to get you a few outfits for your time here, and then you would not have to possibly see Apollo or deal with the most-likely-to-be-a-hassle situation of retrieving things from Artemis’ home. I do think it will be easy enough to provide her an excuse for your remaining here over nights, in the Underworld…. There was a project Hecate and I were considering assigning to you; we could _say_ you’ve already begun it….”

She eyed him askance, tucking her feet beneath her on the bed as she scooted backwards from the edge. The angles of her knees, concealed beneath black leggings, perfectly presented the swell of her thighs, and Hades gulped again as his mind went all the wrong places…. “What’s the project, and how would that be convincing?”

“Ahem….” _Focus, you creep!_ “Well, the Archives are woefully disorganized. The shades can be trained for a lot of mundane tasks, most of the time, but sadly, organization habits from their own lives tend to remain ingrained when they leave their mortal existences. It’s like it’s a part of their personalities, and that makes it difficult to establish one single, cohesive system of categorizing the records: every shade who works retrieving, storing, or notating records has their own preferences and ways of doing so, and it makes for one giant conglomerate of disfunction. We would like you to take over that task. One being, one person, to manage and control the records storage of mortal lives.”

Her eyes were wide as she drummed her fingers against the sheets, and she bit her lower lip in what Hades was coming to recognize as her “concentration” face. “That does sound like a rather long-lasting thing. I mean, I think I’m still a little confused about how that’s supposed to convince Artemis that I’m legitimately down here overnights…?”

He smirked, stroking one finger over Pomelia’s head and neck; the tiny dog arched into the touch slightly, and he squinted his eyes in a sudden surge of pure happiness as Persephone giggled brightly at Pommie’s response. “Well, of course, the work of a normal day at Underworld Corps can’t be put on hold to allow you to get ahead of the load. You’ll have to work after hours, all night, and this will mean your entire schedule will be shifting. Additionally, since the transit services are geared for the day-shift workers, you will be obligated to remain in the Underworld during your time off. Hence, you will be given _quarters_ with the other Shade-management personnel, the psychopomps who have not yet earned off-site arrangements. This should only last a week or two, though, Miss Persephone: we have every confidence in your ability to finish by the deadline….”

He winked, and she burst out laughing, falling back to the bed and kicking her feet. She’d slipped off her shoes at some point, and Hades found himself entranced by the way her toes curled as she cackled.

_You. Are. A. Creep._

_Stop it!_

“Oh my gods, that’s brilliant, Hades, thank you!” She flew through the air, angling around his Pommie-hand and squeezing his ribs in a too-tight-not-nearly-tight-enough embrace. He wrapped his free hand around her, wondering how he was going to survive.

_I have self-control…._

_I’m more than two millennia old…._

_She won’t break me…._

As she pulled away finally, scooping Pommie from his hand and darting back to the mattress to play with the miniscule dog, he ripped his eyes from the incredible picture her rear presented when she bent over the mattress.

He mumbled something incoherent, maybe about making an early dinner for them both, maybe about needing a drink, he really wasn’t sure; but he mumbled whatever it was and made his way from the room, heading for his own room, away from the too-perfect being that was making herself at home in his home….

_How long will I last before I fuck this up as royally as my stupid idiot of a brother…?_

_…._

_Gods, I have to do right by her…._

_Cosmos almighty, help me not fuck this up…._

* * *

_Well, that was strange…._

_Why did he run like that?!_

She collapsed to the mattress, patting Cerberus’ head and staring past the whimpering ocean of dogs in the doorway after Hades’ now-absent form.

_I mean, all I did was borrow this cute little girl again, and we were just playing, and it’s not like I was being rude to him or anything, was I? I mean, how could I have been, my back was to him and…._

_Oh my gods, Perse, you bent over and all but shoved your butt in his face!_

_Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods, that’s so embarrassing!_

She buried her face in her hands and flopped to the mattress again, face-down and hunch-shouldered.

_Wow…._

_Way to go…._

_Okay…._

_You know he likes you…. And maybe even more than…._

She propped her chin on her fists, raising her torso up on her elbows to stare blankly at the headboard as she tried to process everything that had happened over the last few hours.

_And he knows now. He knows you were raped. And he’s doing exactly what you wanted: giving you space, and a safe place to stay while you work through all of that. He’s making sure you have everything you need, however that ends up, and he even already got you all set with an excuse to keep Artemis and Mom from being too suspicious about why I’m not really in Olympus anymore…._

_Well, if Mom even ever checks in on me anymore. Honestly, it’s like she thinks I’m a traitor now or something._

_And Arti will probably still be pretty suspicious, but at least this is a logical explanation._

_I’ve already got the time off from classes. I have literally nothing to return to Olympus for. I can figure this out, and still work to pay back TGOEM, and in a couple of months, I’ll be free and clear…._

_And then…._

She tried to shove the image away, but it wouldn’t stop shining in her mind. She’d dreamed it a few nights before, and had nearly forgotten it until this morning.

Apollo had been over at Artemis’ house again, making his stupid creepy-crepes, and she’d had to pretend to be fighting a headache just to hide in her room until he left. Sitting on the floor by her bed, in the dark and unlit room, the faint memory of the dream had flared to life in her mind, bright and gleaming with promise.

_Bells loud and bronzy, ringing out over flower-spangled meadows._

_Birds twittering and panpipes sighing on the breezes._

_The scent of poppy and cypress drowning out lowland larkspur and thyme, and sunlight glinting everything to diamond clarity and emerald glow._

_Two figures, silhouetted in the light atop the bare-capped hill:_

_One taller by half than the smaller, and both draped in black._

_One with white hair, and one with magenta._

_One blue hand cupping a fuchsia cheek._

_Two crowns spearing the sky…._

Her cheek tingled at the memory.

The images refused to leave her mind.

_Somehow, I can’t help but think that’s not just a fantasy…._

_And gods, I actually want it…._

_I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything so much._

_…._

_I don’t even want to run **from** Apollo as much as I want to run **toward** that dream’s promises…._

_…._

_I’m falling in love with Hades, and now, I’m staying in his house, and I showed off my butt like an airhead…._

_…._

_Okay. New plan._

_Talk to him. Tell him everything._

_…._

_…._

_…._

_Maybe tomorrow…._

* * *

Tomorrow came and went. And a few more days after that.

Persephone called Artemis on the first day of her escape, and she and Hades went shopping after work. The department store was as glitzy as anything she’d been to with Eros in recent weeks, even if it was nearly deserted. He’d told her he called ahead so they’d be undisturbed by paparazzi: all in the name of keeping her continuing presence in the Underworld a secret. She had thought she should be upset with him for jumping ahead of her like that, for making decisions on her behalf, but she found there was actually a comfort in letting him take that little initiative.

And the gratified smiles he had showered her with told her, somehow, that he needed to take those initiatives, to protect her even in these little ways.

She hadn’t told him about the dream. She hadn’t talked about much of anything except normal day-to-day stuff with him. She wasn’t running from dealing with the Apollo stuff, but she was enjoying being distracted for a little while. It was just so nice to wake up in the morning and _know_ she wouldn’t have any risk of being blindsided by the purple bastard that day….

Hades’ home was becoming her haven, her sanctuary, and she found herself reveling in sharing a deepening friendship, a growing emotional closeness, with the enormous cerulean King.

Cerberus was by her side nearly constantly when she was at work. She hadn’t officially begun her “project” yet; her duties were the same as they had been since she started work, retrieving records and helping locate and transport documentation for trials. She was finding out, though, that Hades was right:

The archives were terribly disorganized, and she was looking forward to officially being handed the reins to whip the mess into shape.

Five days after she “moved in” with Hades, she entered the kitchen, already dressed for another day at work, and Hades was nowhere to be seen. The coffeepot was already burbling away, the automatic programming handling that as it should, and her brand-new smaller pot wasn’t far behind, steam carrying the scent of the jasmine tea she’d prepped it with the night before.

But Hades wasn’t in the kitchen like usual: he was always up before her, especially now that she was sleeping so much more soundly surrounded by half the pack of dogs and the scent of Hades’ laundry soap. He would usually be wrist deep in omelets or hashbrowns by now….

She had been very careful to avoid his room since he granted her sanctuary. She knew how terrible it felt to have one’s personal space intruded upon, but….

Was he sick?

She had to check on him. There was a panicky feeling in her chest, curled around her heart, and she had to know he was okay.

Her lifeline, her tether, her trellis: she needed him to be okay, and she hadn’t realized how much she’d come to rely on seeing him nearly first thing in the mornings….

She left the kitchen, Cerberus dogging her heels with a serious expression on his velvet-cheeked face, and together goddess and hound hunted down their King….

* * *

He tried hard not to move.

But even just continuing to breathe shifted his body enough to send thunderous shards of blunt-edged pain through his skull.

His shoulder was screaming; he’d flung his hand up over his head sometime in the night, and his shoulder was half-out of its socket, but he couldn’t move, wouldn’t risk it….

His head couldn’t take it….

Cerberus whined outside his bedroom door, and he couldn’t quite stifle the groan that only exacerbated the pain in his head as his dog’s voice spiked into his ears, behind his eyes, down his throat with sharp-and-ripping agony.

And then _her_ voice, soft, soothing, a whisper that didn’t quite hurt him where he lay praying for death here in the dark:

“Hades, are you okay? Do you want me to bring you some coffee?”

Her shoes clacked over the floor, and _he_ whined this time….

Rustling sounds, and then the unmistakable sound of bare feet padding toward his bed.

If he hadn’t been dying from the worst headache he could ever remember having, he knew he’d have been imagining her bare feet preceding the rest of her naked body clambering onto his bed….

“Hades…?”

He kept his eyes closed, opened his mouth as little as possible, and pushed barely enough air from his lungs to answer the little goddess who was worried about him. He didn’t have to look to know the little upset-wrinkles would be knotting her forehead; how her eyes would be narrowed all suspicious at how long he was taking to answer her….

He felt like he’d known her, memorized her, been with her for eons already, and it had only been five days….

“I’m sorry, Persephone…. I’m not going to be up and about for a while yet…. Bad, bad, _really_ bad headache….”

“Oh dear. What can I do?”

Her fingers brushed sweat-damp hair off his forehead and her warm-light, flowers-and-sunshine scent washed over him. He opened his eyes in pure instinctive reflex to the sensation, and her skin, though nearly glow-bright in his dark bedroom, didn’t hurt him….

_Strange…._

_Made for me…._

“Honestly, there’s not much for it when it gets like this. I hurt too much to get out of this bed and get any medicine….”

“What medicine do you need? Where is it, and I’ll bring it to you….”

Her hand cupped his cheek, and he relaxed into the pressure, his eyes sliding closed. Her other hand wrapped around his wrist, pulling his upflung arm back down; how had she even known that was hurting him…?!

“Um, in the bathroom cabinet over the sink. Naproxen…. Three pills, water….” His words sounded a little slurred, but was that the headache, or the pleasure of her fingers on his skin…?

“Okay…. Give me a second….”

She left the bed, and he thought his heart was breaking….

_Damn, Hades; this is pathetic. Get a grip._

_You’re gonna ruin everything if you keep this up…._

But with his head splitting open like it was, he didn’t think he could monitor his reactions like he should.

And maybe that was okay….

At least this way, she’d know how he felt, and he wouldn’t have to try to find the words….

She’d know, and one way or the other, they’d have to talk it all out….

Later, once his headache was gone….

_Was I out of pills? What’s taking so…._

_Oh gods no…._

_Oh gods, did I put it away last night?!_

_Oh fuckfuckfuckfuck noooooooo…!_

_…._

_Way to blow it, horndog…._

_You left your damn toy out where the goddess you’re supposed to be protecting is sure to find it…._

_…._

_You’re an idiot…. The biggest idiot…._

_King of idiots…._

_Dumbass…._

“Hades, here’s your medicine. Can you lean up a little…?”

His eyes flew open, blinking as rapidly as he could to minimize the intrusion of light from the cracked-open bathroom door. She cradled the back of his neck as she tipped the pills onto his tongue with her other hand, and then she reached for the glass of water on the bedside table. He stared into her face, trying to find the evidence of her discovery of his shame, but there was nothing there but concern for the trembling she felt in his straining neck muscles.

“Now, you rest. I’ll call Hecate and tell her we won’t be in today. I’ll come check on you in a couple of hours. Is there anything else you need?”

He grunted, unsure he had words….

_How could she not have seen it?_

_Does she not know what it was?_

_Why is she acting so normal?!_

_Is this normal?!_

“Okay, then. Feel better. I’ll see you in a little while….”

She left the room, Cerberus following her like the good boy he was.

Hades melted into the mattress, beyond processing anything about what had just happened, or not happened, or could have happened….

And was it wishful thinking to imagine his headache was already a little better…?

* * *

_Okay…._

_So…._

_He obviously had some fun last night…._

_Where’s that damn book…?_

She rummaged through her bag, finally retrieving the pocket-sized volume that Eros had given her last week. He and she had been talking over a lot of things since he helped her run Apollo off that one morning, beyond the topic of her not-quite hook-up with his dad.

She’d finally begun to piece together what it meant to be a fertility goddess.

And that had spawned a whole host of curiosities about sex and intimacy that she felt she could only discuss with him.

After all, it was his specialty….

Hence, this book.

_Pocket field guide to sexual play: by Eros_

She was pretty sure he’d only gotten a handful of these things “published,” just as a gag, but gag or no, he wasn’t kidding when he said he’d done his research….

_Okay, let’s see…. Male-use toys, yeah…._

_There it is…._

_A flesh-light…._

_Oh, how punny…._

_Yep, okay, so, yeah…. He **did** that…._

_…._

_We’re gonna need to talk about that when he’s feeling better…._

_…._

_…._

_…._

_I need to know if he was thinking about me…._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Yep. That's happening....
> 
> Or is it...?
> 
> Alright, look. Persephone is a curious bean - we know this. I really do think, that sometimes soon in canon - I hope - she and Eros will begin to discuss "sex" in the light of not only her rape but her status and existence as a fertility goddess. Since I'm trying to keep this short-form, this may seem like things are moving a little fast. I don't know if the muses are making me do fan-service here or what, but apparently, there's gonna be some smoot slipping into this fic. 
> 
> Damn muses....
> 
> I have upgraded the rating from M to Explicit to reflect this development. 
> 
> I am not promising full-on sex, but there will be *something* happening in the next chapter. And then things will really get rolling with regards to the Apollo sitch we're all waiting to see....
> 
> Another small note - "xenia" is the concept of hospitality in Greek culture and tradition. Essentially, the host must provide gracious necessities, and the guest must refrain from being a burden or annoyance. I like to think that there's some leeway here - some people would go more bare-bones, and some would be extremely gracious. Hades is definitely one of the latter. But he's trying to toe the line, and not overdo, because Persephone does not want "special" treatment.... 
> 
> Yet....
> 
> Stay tuned, and thanks for hitting over 700 views in only 2 days! Oh my gods, I thought this would be a great fic, but damn! Y'all making my heart dance and swoon!
> 
> Thank you for all the love, and gods, just.... Y'all keep being the awesome fan community you are! 
> 
> Love from Swoonie and the kink-muses in my headspace....


	4. Vines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GODS! Over 1000 hits and over 110 kudos! THANK YOU ALL, my Swoonie heart is beyond full!
> 
> So, call it fanservice if you like, but.... Here it is. The aftermath of Hades leaving his damn fleshlight out on his bathroom counter....
> 
> Within:
> 
> Open discussion of sexual fantasies, expectations, and thematics of consent  
> First kiss - YAAAAAASSSSS  
> Sexual awakenings - to the tune of a first orgasm  
> Discovering kinks - almost, kinda, maybe?  
> Emotional aftermath of sexual encounter - including some tears and vulnerable feels
> 
> We'll see where the muses take my dorks from here. There may be another smoot scene, but I still think this will stay a rather short-form fic - this is chapter 4, short-form tends to be 10 chapters or less. So....
> 
> Enjoy, dears, it's getting hot in the King's living room right now!

It had been three hours, and she had heard nothing from Hades’ room.

***

She’d re-entered the kitchen after satisfying her curiosity about the toy he’d left out on his bathroom countertop, stopping his coffee-pot mid-burble and then proceeding to feed the pack. Pomelia was still receiving a hyper-nutrient-blend of wet-food and milk on top of the island – away from the greedy maws of the others – so Persephone made sure the rest of the family was fed before she placed Pomelia on the countertop for her breakfast.

Pomelia had not once, so far as Persephone could tell, ever attempted to leap off too-high a surface, but the little dog was just too precious to take any risk of not paying attention….

After the dogs were fed, she let them all out into the romp-yard and called Hecate while she stood on the patio. Hecate seemed far too delighted to hear that her boss and intern were not coming into work today.

Persephone knew exactly why, and she couldn’t stop the blush from rising into her cheeks as she redirected the conversation to what tasks she should attempt to accomplish remotely today anyway.

“Oh, no, dear, you just take care of our King. _That_ is priority number one, always, after all! Ta!”

_She…._

_She hung up on me!_

_Good grief…._

Mumbling to herself, she made her way back into the living room and thumped onto the couch. It only took a few seconds for her to remember she had left her half-drunk tea in the kitchen near Pomelia’s saucer; she gave a huffy little noise when she scooted to the edge of the couch and straightened onto her bare feet.

_Oh sugarsnaps! I left my shoes in his room!_

_…._

_I’ll get them later. And I could probably change…._

She retrieved her tea from the kitchen and headed back down the hall to her room.

_Funny._

_This really does feel like home…._

_My room. My place._

_With him…._

_It just feels… natural. Safe. I knew it would feel safe, but I didn’t expect to have to **not** worry about overthinking this whole thing…._

_Okay, so…. Lounge clothes. Comfy something…._

_Oh, well, all I have is…._

She stared at the item hanging there in her closet.

_I mean, it was his idea…._

_Literally…._

_Why not?_

She pulled the burgundy sweater-dress from the hanger and made her way into the en-suite bathroom. The black blouse and royal-blue a-line skirt went back on their hangers from just the hour before, and on went the sweater-dress.

She had told Eros about it just a couple of days after what she’d come to think of as “the lunch date.” Eros had _connections_ , and he had been unafraid and unashamed to use them. Four days later, literally a week after Hades had concocted the dress in his mind-palace-or-what-have-you:

Persephone had tried on the real thing, and Eros had squealed and danced in circles around her on his tiptoes.

_“Oh, honey, yeah, he wants that, yes he does! Promise me you’ll tell me all about his face the first time he sees you wear it in reality!!!!!”_

And of course she’d promised….

It wasn’t just that she owed Eros once again for his support and incredible taste in fashion….

_I need the excuse to memorize that face for my own self…._

She turned slightly in the floor-length mirror, examining the way the dress hugged her shoulders, her bust, her hips….

_If anything I’ve ever worn made me feel like a Queen, it’s this…._

_But, it is also soooooo comfortable! It’s loungey, but elegant, and I honestly feel like a real goddess in it!_

She left her room once more, her Field Guide and tea accompanying her back to the living room to pass the time waiting to check on Hades once more.

_And it even has pockets…!_

She pulled her phone from the hidden pocket along her thigh and set a timer as she settled onto the couch.

_Alright. Check on Hades in an hour, so in the meantime…._

_Let’s see what other kinds of hi-jinks men get up to when they want to have a little fun alone…._

* * *

He sighed, stretching beneath the sheet, his hands thumping the headboard above him as he did. He relaxed as his muscles rebelled at their limits, licking his lips to clear the murky taste of sleep from his tongue.

And then he remembered….

_Oh. My. Gods…._

_Oh. My. Ever-loving…._

_Nooooooo…._

The door from the hallway was closed. As was the bathroom door. He swallowed softly as his eyes finally spotted the glass of water, with ice still floating quietly on the surface of the small ocean, sweating into the coaster on his bedside table. Laid carefully nearby, but not so close to any of the edges of the tabletop that he’d risk knocking them off, were three more pills.

_She didn’t even just bring the bottle, in case my head was hurting too much for me to open it…._

_And she’s obviously been in here sometime in the last hour, with the ice still there…._

_…._

_Which means she saw the stupid thing at least twice…!_

He groaned, dragging his hands down his face, clawing at his skin with stiff fingertips.

_Way. To. Go._

_I mean, honestly…._

_It’s not like I expected her to have to come in here anytime soon._

_EVER!_

_I just…._

_I was tired. I did what I did, and it wasn’t a big deal…. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing I haven’t done before…._

_I’m a damned bachelor, for crying out loud! It’s my house, I can do what I want!_

_Damn migraine fucking everything up!_

_…._

_Damn me being a horny idiot…._

_…._

_Whaddamigonnado?!_

_…._

_…._

_…._

_At least my headache’s gone…._

* * *

_Heh, look at Hermes! Awwww, he looks cute with his hair like that…. What’s that say? “Hot date tonight, trying new look, think he’ll like it…?”_

_…._

_WHO HE?!!?_

Persephone scrolled rapidly through Hermes’ Fatesbook feed, looking for any hint of who Hermes might be going out with tonight.

_For being such a blabby-mouth, he’s awful hushy-hush about this! He didn’t even say anything to me yesterday at work!_

_Booooooo!_

_Whatever, where’s that new hair post…? Now, what to say, what to say…?_

_“I think it looks great, Hermes, he’s a lucky guy, whoever he is!”_

_Take that…!_

“Ahem, Persephone…?”

“ _OH MY GODS!_ ”

Her phone flew out of her hands onto her lap, her knees straightening with a pop from where she’d been tucked and scrunched with her back against the arm of the thing. The blanket floomphed over her legs as it settled with the sudden breeze her thrashing kicked up, and she stared at Hades peering at her over the back of the couch. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was pointing a dozen different directions over his forehead and ears, but he was smiling softly at her startled response.

“Sorry. Just wanted to say thank you for the meds and water, earlier and the new batch.”

“Uh huh! Sure! No problem!”

_Gods, Perse, could you sound any more like a chipmunk!?_

“Hecate have any instructions for us?”

“Nope!”

“Good. I guess I’ve needed a day off for a while…. What am I smelling? Are you baking?”

“No, um, well, not quite yet. There’s some fresh pita dough on the rise right now, but I’m steeping some lavender and chamomile and mint. I know you don’t drink tea, but even just breathing in the steam will help. I’d hoped you’d be waking up soon, so I was making sure I had some ready for you.” _Breathe, girl, breathe…._ “Uhhhm…. How’s your headache…?”

“It’s actually all but gone, but that does smell delightful. I’ll happily take a mug, you went to all the trouble….”

“No trouble, none, really! I mean, not like I had to forage the flowers, I just, you know, bloomed some, and it was done….” She scrambled off the couch, nearly trembling with the nerves. “I’ll be right back!”

“I can get it, please sit, really!”

“No! You’re recovering from some epic bad headache! I got this! You sit!” She froze near the hallway door, considering for a slow moment. Then she turned around, locked her eyes on him, and executed a dramatically-delicate bow from the waist. “As it please Your Majesty….”

His mouth dropped open, and she darted from the room….

_Eros, oh dearest Eros…._

_Once again, I owe you big…._

_He does have a thing for authority play…._

* * *

His mouth dropped open as she grinned wolfishly and disappeared through the doorway like a wraith, a song of mist and moonlight.

_Was she wearing…?_

_No…. How could she have got…?_

_Wait…._

_…._

_Eros…._

_That boy knows all the everyone in fashion. If anyone could literally engineer something I made in my own mind by hearing about it from the woman I made it for, it’d be Eros and his army of needle-monkeys…._

_But damn…._

_Damn…!_

_It looks even better out here…._

_She has got to know what she’s doing to me!_

_But…._

_No. You’re projecting your own fantasies onto a traumatized goddess. Get a fucking grip._

He moved around the couch, collapsing to the cushion farthest from where she’d been sitting. He’d been very careful to keep his distance every night when they sat watching television or reading after dinner. Usually, she would sidle closer after a few minutes, and he would drape one arm over her shoulder, but it was always her choice to initiate the contact.

It would always be her choice.

_So, what if she does know what she’s doing to you? And what if she’s trying to hint…?_

_But how do I know!?_

_And do I even ask her if she saw the thing on my countertop?!_

_Or do I wait for her to bring it up and then blush my way through an apology for the offense and my grossness…?_

He buried his face in his hands, palms crushing his cheekbones as he fought through the anxiety and panic.

_Gods…. What do I do?!?!_

_She’s not ready to deal with my messed up shit. Just…. Get. A…._

The bright yellow cover of the book finally drew his attention from between his wide-spread fingers.

_…. Grip…._

_“Pocket Field Guide to Sexual Play: by Eros”_

_No… way…._

“Yeah. It seemed only fair to leave that out, since you left _that_ out….”

He couldn’t tear his eyes from the book as she placed a mug in front of him on the coffee table, walked around the low-slung furniture, and took up a seat on an ottoman facing him.

_Oh gods._

_She does know._

_And she’s been **researching**!?!_

“Hades…?”

He finally met her gaze, and it was all he could do to keep his ass planted on the couch.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to beg forgiveness for being a creepy old fucker, or beg her for the gift of a single kiss, or run from the room and barricade himself in his study and wait for her to leave since he was obviously not worth her time….

“I’m sorry…. I don’t know what to say….” His voice was only there on a technicality; there was breath, there was movement of lips and tongue and jaw, but he honestly didn’t hear anything but the pounding of his heart.

_She’s either gonna leave, or things are going to get very interesting…._

_…._

_Let her decide…. It’s always her choice…._

_…._

_Please choose me…._

* * *

Persephone watched the emotions crashing over Hades’ face, and she wondered why she enjoyed watching.

_I’m not sadistic…!_

_But wow, this is fun, seeing him try to find a way to make this right…._

_There’s a power here…._

_But that’s enough torture for now, I think._

“Hades, if it’s okay, I have some things to say. Maybe that’ll give you some springboard…?”

He gulped. Literally, she could hear the _glurk_ sound from her position on the ottoman about six feet away. He grimaced a little, just the smallest tightening of the skin around his eyes, and Persephone breathed a small sigh when he nodded – a tiny thing, really, the motion barely there – when he gave her permission to lead this conversation in whatever direction she chose.

“Okay. Yes, I’ve been learning more about what it means to be a fertility goddess. See, Apollo basically said that part of the reason why he’s so … blech … _invested_ in _us_ – not that there is any _us_ , but he’s a bastard, so….”

Hades’ jaw dropped open again, and he moaned, actually _moaned_ , and she paused, waiting for him to regain his composure.

It took a long minute, but he finally seemed to surface from whatever haze she’d unintentionally thrown him into headlong….

“I’m sorry, Persephone.” His voice was hoarse, not quite a whisper and not quite actual speaking tone. “But I think I rather like hearing you curse….” He licked his lips, and the butterflies in her stomach starting dancing on the breeze of her soft gasp.

“Oh! Well, I’ve been trying things out there…. Anyway, so, I finally talked about all that to Eros, and he confirmed it, ‘cause he’s a fertility deity, too, obviously…. And I realized I’m honestly just… really curious, about a lot of things. It’s not even just that my first real experience with sex was being raped: it’s more that my mother – and no, I still haven’t talked to her yet, I don’t think I’m quite ready for that implosion – but my mother has always acted like sex doesn’t even exist, so I just don’t know much at all…. I mean, mechanics, I guess, are easy enough, but the emotions, the whys and all…. So, when I saw your flesh-light out on the counter, I did _not_ know what it was by name, so I looked it up here.

“And that led to this wonderful little rabbit hole for the last couple of hours….”

He was staring at her, completely dumbfounded, leaning toward her so far he was nearly falling from the couch. His mouth was still slightly open, and a little dampness was shining at one corner of his lips.

_Oh. My. Gods. He’s **drooling!**_

“Hades, um….” She swiped a finger over her mouth in about the same spot, and he blushed so thickly his skin nearly turned green as he scrubbed at his mouth with the back of his hand. She kept her chess-face in place, refusing to embarrass him further, but when he settled back against the cushions, composing his demeanor into what she’d come to recognize as something like “ _businessman boss-of-all-bosses_ ,” she pressed on with her not-quite-rehearsed spiel.

“So, I know what it is now, how it’s used, and I guess I had a few questions for you, specifically. And I’d like to extend you the same courtesy, that you don’t have to talk about anything that makes you uncomfortable, but I think I like talking about sex stuff…. It’s almost like it’s giving me back a power that Apollo tried to take from me before I even knew I had it….”

“Hrrrmmmm…. May I have a moment to think…?”

“Absolutely! I’ll go check on the pita dough.”

She rose from the ottoman, taking her mug of tea with her, leaving her almost-lover behind her on his couch with his thoughts.

_He…. He took that better than I thought…._

_Let’s hope I don’t break him with what I **really** want…._

* * *

_Gods…._

_She…._

_Nope, don’t get ahead of yourself, Hades. She said she has questions, she’s still in charge._

_But holy fuck and shit…._

_She. Wants. More._

_She **likes** talking about sex stuff?!_

_Shit yes…._

_…._

_Okay. Praise me being a horn-dog…._

_This is gonna be fine…._

_You’re no coward. You can talk about sex…._

_Except…._

“Hades, do you need more time?”

She was leaning over the back of the couch, her face only inches from his; she’d pulled her hair up above her head, but a few stragglers drifted over her eyes, captivating, mystifying….

“No, I think I can do this for you, talk to you…. But, Persephone, I need to be very clear with you before we get further into this….”

“Okay, what is it you need to tell me…?”

_Oh gods, her breath with the tea…. I could drown in that, fucking hell, so innocent and sweet a scent…._

“I will do my best to answer your questions, but Persephone…. Gods, I’m in love with you, and I don’t think I can answer anything even remotely related to sex without thinking about you, _that way!_ And if that makes you feel ill at ease, I could never forgive myself, not with already knowing what was done to you! So, I need you to tell me if it gets too much, or too intense, and I think the only option then would be to just -”

Her lips smashed against his, and he froze.

_Ohmygodsohmygodsohmy…._

_Oh, goddess…._

He melted, drowned, floated, soared….

She pulled away, a light smacking sound marking the broken contact, and her fingers came up to brush over her half-opened lips. He stared, panting heavily once he finally started breathing again, and eventually, she chuckled at whatever expression was on his face.

“I promise I’ll tell you if I get uncomfortable, Hades, but I do still think I want my questions answered….”

_“Hrn-kay….”_

She smiled, choking on laughter, it was obvious she was trying not to laugh _at_ him, but damn, she could do anything to him at all, and he’d beg for more….

_She **does** know what she’s doing to me, and she wants to keep doing it…._

_Please, goddess, please keep going…._

_I’ll wait, I’ll be patient as I can, but I’m begging you…._

_Reach for me, keep reaching, and I promise, I’ll make you forget you ever feared the bed…._

She flew up and over the back of the couch, her straggling fly-aways dancing in the breeze; she settled onto the couch beside him, on her knees, the burgundy sweater-dress molded to her magenta skin like nothing he’d ever seen in reality. He stared at the way it cupped her breasts, and gods, did she seriously just arch her back to show them off more?!

“Hades…?”

_Eyes, eyes! You love her eyes, look at her eyes, dammit!_

“You recognize the dress, yes…?”

_Yes, of course, it looks even better out here, it’s real, you’re real, this is really happening?!_

“Good. I really adore it. It fits so well….”

_Temptress, fucking siren, damned fertility goddess, how are you so good at this without even trying!?!?_

“Heh. I’m sorry, Hades. I shouldn’t tease so, but I have to be honest: I really enjoy watching your reactions….”

“Little goddess, tease me all you like, explore anyway you want, I’d lie naked on coals for you if you wanted to see _that_ reaction….”

_WHAT. THE. FUCK. HADES?!?!!_

“Oh…! Um, well, not coals, but…. I had thought, sometime soon, I had thought about asking if I could see you naked….”

_Dead. I’m dead now, right…? That’s what this feeling is? Numb. Blank._

_Dead._

_She killed me…._

“I’m guessing by your blush you like that idea….”

_Words. Words are a thing…._

“Yes, ach-hem, I…. I rather _adore_ that idea….”

She giggled, and with a monumental effort, he kept from staring as her breasts _jiggled_ inside the sweater-dress’s confines.

“Okay. So, my first question is, were you imagining me when you played with your toy last night?”

_Right for the kill shot once more, huh, beautiful dread thing…?_

“Absolutely…. Is that okay? I promise it wasn’t anything too kinky or raunchy, just…. It was _you_ ….”

“Well, oddly, it doesn’t feel like you were using me, it doesn’t feel the same as what Apollo did. I think I like the power that gives me…. But I am still curious about what exactly you imagined? I don’t think I fully understand how fantasies work….”

_Okay, well, this could be fun…. Don’t fuck it up…._

“Um, if you think it might help you understand, I think I could maybe tell you what I imagined…. I mean, I’ve never really done that before, shared fantasies; so, maybe this would be good to explore for both of us?” _Way to make it all about you, creep!_

“Yes, please!”

_Wow. So matter-of-fact._

_Okay. This is happening._

_Alright…._

“Well, um…. At first, I guess I was imagining that I’d got home from the office, and I was still a little too hung up in some stupid report or other, and I didn’t even realize you were home too until you slammed the bedroom door behind me.”

_Not now, cock, honestly, this is just supposed to be theoretical, stop it!_

Her eyes were bright, glistening with excitement as she watched his face. He fisted his hands beside his thighs, refusing to draw attention to his lower body. _That would just be too creepy._

“It startled me, so I spun around.” He was falling deeper into the fantasy, the feelings from this too-detailed imagined romp last night mixing with the strange-newness-and-pleasure of revealing his desperation to the woman he loved, right here, right now, all of a sudden and not nearly sudden enough.

“You ripped my shirt off, I’m not even sure how you were strong enough to just explode the buttons. You snatched my pants down, you dragged me into the bathroom. You were, um, already naked….”

“…. Go on, it’s okay; I want you to be honest, I want to understand….”

“…. You shoved me into the shower and followed me in. You pushed me up against the shower wall, it was already steamed up so it was slick on my back…. You were all smooshed up against my front, and I couldn’t tell if the wet I felt on my dick was you or the shower….”

She shivered a little suddenly, and he panicked, thinking he’d gone too far, too fast, stupidstupidstupid!

“Wow. Um…. Okay, so, that was a tingle….”

….

_Oh gods, that’s adorable, I need more of that…._

“A tingle, huh? Down there…?” He tilted his chin, and she blushed, her cheeks nearly turning orange from the ichor flooding them. _Beautiful, so cute…._

“Uh huh! Yep…. Um, that feels really nice, actually…. Is this weird, it feels weird, but also good, and I think I’d like you to keep going? Even more details…?”

_Oh, I know what you want, little goddess, and I will provide…._

“Your breasts were soft and firm all at once where you smashed them up against my chest. Your mouth was hot, our breath mingling so it was impossible to tell who was breathing in, who was sighing out. Your tongue was far too agile, dancing around mine; you were in control, and all I could do was follow where you led, goddess.” He couldn’t take it anymore; his left hand splayed over his crotch, the pressure tamping down his aching arousal as he continued telling his future queen the story of his recurring fantasy.

“See, you’d flown up in the air when you shoved me into the shower. So, you were hovering over my cock, and I could feel how much you wanted me inside you, but you were in charge, I wasn’t going to take that power away from you. If you wanted me inside, you’d put me there, I could tell.

“And, gods, Persephone, you _did_ ….”

She was rocking back and forth, staring at him, panting openly with eyes wide-blown and hungry. He knew he probably wasn’t much better, but he at least was getting some relief from his hand on his aching dick through his black track-pants.

_Now or never, coward…._

“Persephone, I would like to touch you, to use my hands to help you find pleasure right now…. You don’t even have to take your clothes off; I really only want to help you feel –”

“ _Yes, please, I don’t, I want, I just_ – ”

“Come here, little goddess, come closer here….”

She scrambled across the couch, nearly crashing into his left arm. He pulled his hand free of his crotch, molding it over her mons instead, and she hunched forward, her breasts on his arm firing off shockwaves through his body from the contact, exactly as he’d imagined they would feel: soft, smooshy, firm, crushing….

She moaned, and he thought he’d pissed himself with how much precum he was leaking at the sound….

“You sank down onto me, and gods, you were hotter than the shower. I wrapped my hands around your hips, and you’re so small, I could do _this_ without straining too much….” He tucked his thumb into the top of her cleft, nailing her clit on the first try, rubbing it in circles and biting his lip at how wet she felt through the fabric of her panties and the sweater-dress.

“I wanted you to find pleasure before me, wanted to make sure you were entirely satisfied. See, fertility deities tend to have quite the appetite, and I would never want to leave you needy….”

She was rocking onto his hand, humping his hand, and he pushed a little harder, giving her what she wanted.

Needed.

And her whimpering mewls were everything he’d thought they’d be….

“Your hands were on my shoulders, helping you pull yourself up and down my cock.” Her hands flew up from where she’d been holding onto her thighs for dear life, clawing into his bicep and shoulder, since he was still sideways to her on the couch. He grinned, loving the sharp pains of her nails nearly breaking through his skin. “You never held back with your beautiful noises, either, little goddess….” She threw her head back with a gasp, staring at him once more, hungry for the pleasure she had nearly found right here, on his hand, in his words.

He nearly forgot his own throbbing need as he stared into her eyes, binding his will to hers, being exactly what she needed of him and nothing more.

“You moaned.” She did.

“You whimpered and whined.” Oh, how she did.

“And when you couldn’t take it anymore, you whispered my name as you found your pleasure.”

_“Haaaaadeeeeessss….”_

She jerked, spasmed, twitched over his hand, her breath hitching and jolting as she forced ichor from his skin beneath her nails. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes never left his own.

He saw the wonder, the desire, the fulfillment there in her wide-blown pupils, and the pleasure that poured into him at showing her what it could be like more than made up for his own half-done hand-job.

She leaned against his chest as he pulled his hand from between her legs; she shivered, and he pulled her into a hug, careful to leave his hands unlocked around her so she wouldn’t feel trapped.

A few heartbeats later, his untended erection was beginning to subside, and he couldn’t quite stifle the sigh that left him at the thought of what might have been.

“Hades, that was…. I think I understand more now….”

“Oh, you do…?”

She giggled, and he chuckled with her.

“Yes. I still want to know more, I still want what I wanted before, and I didn’t even get to tell you _everything_ I wanted….”

He stared down at her messy not-quite-bun….

“More than seeing me naked and me telling you my dirty shower fantasies?!”

“Uh-huh….” She peeled herself off his chest, his t-shirt sticking to her sweat-damp cheek for a moment too long so they both laughed. “I have lots of thoughts on toys and stuff, and types of play, and I can’t help but wonder how many of them you might have experience with….”

“Oh, goddess, believe me, I’ve done a lot….”

“Which is why I have questions…. I know you have a lot of experience, and Hades, I don’t think I ever said it earlier….”

“Huh? You lost me, sweetness….”

She smiled. “Right before I kissed you to shut you up ‘cause you were rambling….”

_WhaddidIsay?!!?_

“Hades, I’m in love with you, too….”

_Oh, sweet cosmos above, what on earth have I ever done to deserve this…?_

“Really…?”

“Yep. I’m in love with you, and I don’t think I can let you go, now that I’ve seen what you can do to me, for me….”

“…. Please don’t let me go….”

_Oh great, now you’re crying in front of her…._

_On her damned shoulder, gods no, don’t…._

_…._

_Don’t let me go…._

“Oh, Hades, I won’t…. I…. I love you, and I want to be with you, I think; somehow, I knew I needed to come here when I needed to get away from him up there in Olympus. But now…. Now I’m not running from him, Hades. I’m running toward you…. I’m just lucky that you’re needing me, too, apparently….”

He chuckled, wet and thick as she petted over the back of his head.

_You have no idea how much I need you, sweetness, but I’ll make sure you never regret loving me…._

“I won’t let you go, Hades. Thank you for being so honest with me….”

She held him, and he felt something in his soul settle into place, pulled into place by vines stronger than the chains of Tartarus….

His Queen was choosing him, too, and everything would be perfect….

She was strong enough to make damn sure of that….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I really like how this turned out. I had ideas, and then the muses had ideas, and we argued, and they may or may not have pulled out the big kink-shooters....
> 
> I really adore the idea of Persephone being all analytically-surprised at her first hint of genuine arousal - hence "oh, that was a tingle...."
> 
> I also cannot help but make use of Hades' obvious prior experience to give him some confidence, even when "this" type of event is new to him. 
> 
> Now, my muses are telling me that what should maybe happen next is something along the lines of more discussion of Hades' past experience, and maybe Persephone taking a hand in understanding "male fun" - via the flesh-light? I think they may be right. 
> 
> We'll see....
> 
> But hopefully, after we pay a visit to the King's bed, or shower, or something -
> 
> Hopefully, then, we can get back to why this fic was even supposed to be written in the first place - Asspollo gonna step over the line, and Hades gon' fuck him the hell up....
> 
> Additionally, I'm building a metaphor here, with the chapter titles. I would love to know if y'all are picking up what I'm laying down....
> 
> Once again, I honestly didn't think we'd hit more than 1k views and 110+ kudos by chapter 4! This is incredible, and I have no word to express the depth of my gratitude for your engagement with my fic! Thank you is insufficient, but you are all beyond sufficient to my soul....
> 
> My Muses and Titans and various other headspace-players thank you....
> 
> Love from Swoonie this delightful Monday....


	5. Blooms - Part the First

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Within - 
> 
> Thoughts on consent  
> Thematics of "timelines" for recovery from rape and trauma  
> Musings on deep feelings  
> More "awakenings" of sorts  
> And plot....
> 
> Consider this a plot-filled prologue to the porn you're all waiting for....
> 
> Sorry.... 
> 
> There were answers to questions that needed taking care of before we get more delishousness.... I mean, there's some delishousness in this part, but it's almost 4250 words of plot and world-build. Also, myths. Because I love retelling the pre-Titanomachy myths....
> 
> Blooms is a two-part chapter. Here's the heavy. Next will be the hawt....
> 
> Enjoy little ones!

Persephone held Hades close to her, something inside her chest feeling warm and heavy with an emotion she couldn’t quite put into words. It felt like something _more_ than the caring tenderness she always felt when she nurtured plants to healthful vigor; it felt deeper than the melting-sweet happiness that filled her when she brushed Pomelia’s fur or held the little darling close to her heart.

It felt altogether different than any type of love she’d ever felt before, and that made it so easy to put aside the logic-fueled argument that _he_ should be the one caring for _her_ right now; after all, she had been raped. Shouldn’t she be more broken-down after being touched like that?!

But it was apparently true, what all the books she’d ever read had to say about love….

_There’s no rules._

_No rules but respect, and compassion, and care…._

She felt … happy, more than happy, that she could be what he needed while he swam through these emotions in her embrace. It was a purpose, something she could hold onto, grow within, to provide care for him even as he did all he could to protect and nurture her.

_This is how it **should** be, I’m sure of it…._

_This can’t be wrong; I don’t care what anyone says._

_It’s not too soon if it’s right for us both…._

He sniffled hard, finally seeming to regain some control over his unruly heart, and she loosened her grip around him, telling him by the slight shift in contact that she would continue to hold onto him if that’s what he wanted, but he could move away whenever he was ready, too….

_Just exactly like he made sure to do for me…._

_I can learn a lot from him, yep, mmmhmmmm…._

He did pull back from her, a sheepish grin shining bright beneath his tear-streaked cheeks. She couldn’t quite stop the chuckle that ripped past her teeth, but she brushed her fingers over his skin, smoothing away the blush and salt with her heart soaring behind her ribs on wings of pure, potent, power-fueled love.

He captured her wrists in both his hands, his long fingers loose around her skin, and her heart skipped a beat at the strength she felt in his touch: it wasn’t quite fear, but it was thrilling like alarm.

“Thank you, Persephone. Both for giving me the privilege of showing you what pleasure _should_ feel like, and for your willingness to hold me…. I don’t quite know if I can tell you how very much it means to me to hear you return my love…. I truly don’t think I have words enough….”

“Hades, I don’t think I do either…. _Love_ seems so… small, for what I’m feeling, what I felt when I was holding you just then…. Is there a bigger word? I don’t think there’s a bigger word…. Maybe that’s why people kiss…?” He stared at her, and she raised an eyebrow back at him. “I’m serious! I’m trying to figure it out, and maybe that’s actually why!”

“Persephone, haven’t you ever heard that you can’t analyze love…?”

_…. You know what…?_

“…. I may have read that somewhere….” He burst out laughing at her obvious pouting, and she flailed her hands at his chest. “ONE HUNDRED PER _CENT_ , HADES! I can’t help being curious, honestly, I can’t! And I don’t know, maybe I’m missing school! I kinda just wish I had a syllabus for everything I want to know!”

He laughed even louder, and she finally started laughing with him.

“A _syllabus_ , oh gods! A syllabus for learning about love, the world would implode!”

“I highly doubt that, you big blue jerk!”

They laughed until they couldn’t breathe, until she was nearly sprawled over his lap and he was hunched over her, panting hard and petting over the back of her head; she sighed as she finally came down from the high, and she couldn’t ignore the lengthy, twitching muscle beneath her breasts.

_Oh, what the hell, I’m smooshing his dick!_

She thrashed up and away from his crotch; he barely managed to move his head out of the way to keep her from smashing her skull into his chin.

“Oh gods, I’m sorry, Hades, I….”

“Persephone, you were very honest with me before. May I be extremely blunt and honest with you…?”

“Uh huh, yeah, ‘cause I really have no idea what to say right now, I just…. Panicky, I feel panicky….”

“Please look at me, if you can….” She did, that was easy enough: his eyes shone with a slight sky-blue tone, gentle and soft around the voids of his pupils. “I swear to you, Persephone: what Apollo did to you is beyond the pale and not at all normal. But your reactions right now, are. You need the power of knowledge over everything you are experiencing, and I didn’t mean to laugh at that need. You are also allowed to be wary of the parts of me you’ve yet to see. You did say you were perhaps interested in seeing me naked…. I am ready to allow you that exploration whenever you feel ready, and not one moment before. But please understand that penises twitch. It’s what they do. It doesn’t mean I will hurt you. It is simply a biological response, to pressure, or arousal. And goddess, make no mistake: I do feel aroused by the thought of you in pleasure, the sight of you enjoying my touch, the sound of you finding release…. But I will never do anything that gives you pause, or ask you for anything I cannot do without. I will wait for you, as long as you need me to wait, for you to find your power in yourself….”

He made no move to touch her through the long moments he spoke to her, calmly, quietly, utter sincerity throwing shadows into his voice. It was intense, and she could almost feel _something_ outside herself, reaching toward her innermost being, but it felt distant, familiar and strange all at once….

But none of that mattered….

“…. This is how it should have been, isn’t it…? If he had been a good man, he would have given me those assurances…. Thank you, Hades, for giving me that safety….”

“I don’t quite know what you went through, Persephone, but….”

He stopped talking, seeming to choke on the words for a long moment.

“Hades…?”

“…. I thought I could….”

His voice was hoarse again, and another tear fell from his eye. He turned his head away from her, and she felt her heart _twist_ behind her ribs.

_He’s hurting; “I don’t quite know….”_

_Is he saying he’s been hurt by someone?!_

“Hades, um…. Could we make a promise to each other? It seems like we’re both worried about pushing too hard, or hurting each other? I really don’t think we should feel obligated to share absolutely everything about ourselves right away, but I do love you, and I think I am ready to listen if there’s something you need to share with me…. But I’m not pushing either. You can tell me anything, even if that’s nothing….”

He spoke toward his knees, his voice a murmur in the air, and she shuffled closer to him on the couch cushions until she could lean softly against his left arm.

“I was just trying to say that I know exactly the kind of safety you need to feel, the power you need to regain in your own body, because something happened to me when I was young that can only be described as a kind of….”

_There are **kinds** of rape?!!?_

_What the…?_

“Oh, Hades…. Have you never said the word…? Look, obviously, no pressure, gods knows that’s not fair, but it helped that I said it earlier this week, it really did….” She took his left hand in both of her own, feeling that strange protective warmth swelling around her heart again as she tried to encourage him to join her in the freedom of facing their truths, squarely, head-on and ready for battle.

“Heh….” It was a humorless little chuckle, hollow and bleak, but he peeked at her quietly for a heartbeat’s span before turning to face his knees once more. “I am in awe of you, goddess. You’ve come so much farther in just a few weeks than I have in centuries…. I…. It seems selfish of me to want your help, your support, when your troubles are so much more immediate….”

“It’s not selfishness to need love and support….”

He stifled a broken sob, and she squeezed his hand a little tighter, one quick increase of pressure before she loosened her grip again.

“Thank you…. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve your beautiful self in my life….”

“Hades, you’re one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met. I don’t think you had to do anything except be you…. I think I’m a little sorry it took me so long to exist, though….” He scoffed a little at her attempt to lighten the mood, but his next breath felt more determined, somehow, as his chest expanded beneath his arm, beside her body.

“Okay, then…. I’ve been seeing a therapist for centuries, and…. No, that’s not how I should start this whole thing…. Um…. Do you know what happened before the actual battles of the Titanomachy?”

_Whoa, segue-fail alert…._

“Um, not really. I know you, and your brothers, my mother, Hestia, and Hera were the main ones involved. I know the Titans are supposed to bound here, in Tartarus, but some of them get released for their duties…. But I don’t know anything that led up to the actual battles. Mother never talked about it, and all the history books I’ve ever seen say is that Kronos was a tyrant who needed to be taken down, and then his rule over the three realms was divided up between you and your brothers…. Wait….”

He stared at his knees, letting her make the connections….

“Oh my…. Hades, was he your…?”

“Yes. Kronos is my father…. He’s still alive, down there. Zeus wanted to kill him, but I…. I defied him. It’s the only time I’ve ever really insisted that being the oldest should count for something….” He tried to smile, but it fell woefully flat to her eyes. “Anyway, it all started with what our father and his brothers did to _their_ father….”

* * *

“See, our grandmother was upset with her consort…. Gaia was pissed off at Oranus for tossing some of their kids down into the earliest versions of Tartarus. They were ‘ugly,’ to him, with extra hands and half the number of eyes they should have had, so he tossed them out. Gaia got mad, and decided being Queen of the Universe wasn’t worth her children’s father being a jerk. She got their oldest son and his brothers involved, and they went all-out. They chopped bits off dear old grandpa, and…. Is this too much, sweetness?”

“No, no, I’m fine….”

“You’re a little pale, there, nearly pastel; are you sure, ‘cause I could just skip all this….”

“No, please, go on. I just…. I can see why the books leave it all to the imagination….”

“Yeah. I promise, though, all of this is so long done; our family is a lot more stable now, if still not quite, um, normal…. Okay, so, yeah. My father took up the throne, but he kept the ‘ugly’ brothers chained up down below. So, now, grandma was mad at _him_ , too…. She cursed him….

“You know that whole, ‘I hope you grow up to have a kid just like you,’ thing?”

She nodded; it was a cliché and trope for a reason, after all….

“Well, she cursed him with that. That one, or more, of his sons would overthrow him, in time….”

“Oh, no, that’s awful….”

“Yeah. But see, I don’t know what she _thought_ he would do with all of that! Like, what, he was just gonna step down, retire?!” He threw his hands up and let them fall back to his knees. She hesitated a moment, then recaptured his left hand, soothing him only slightly with gentle caressing touches of her fingers on his skin. “So, yeah. I was six years old when he came hunting….”

“Oh, Hades….”

“…. This is what it all comes down to, Persephone…. He wouldn’t just kill me. I guess he thought that would be _too_ final…. He…. Um, he…. He a-a-ate m-m-m-m-me….”

Her hands froze in their gentle motions over his clenched fist, and her soft gasp only forced him to realize just how _awful_ it really was….

“Oh, that’s…. Gods, Hades, that’s terrible….”

“Yep…. So, for years, c-c-c-cen-centuries, I couldn’t really m-m-m-m-move past it. I st-still have n-n-nightmares, sometimes, but a few hundred years ago, my therapist, he d-d-decided we should t-try something different. He said it was almost l-l-like I’d been raped, see, and so, he started treating me with those methods and techniques…. It helped a little more than anything else, but it’s still not quite the same…. But that’s w-w-why I say that I understand the kind of safety you n-n-need to feel, and that urge to r-r-reclaim your body for _you_ …. It took me a long time; I obviously didn’t have an Eros to help me so soon…. I’m so glad you did, because obviously, you’re coping much better th-th-than I did….”

He fell silent then, the weight of near-eternities drifting from around his heart in tendrils of wine-red mist.

_My gods, she was right…._

_Lighter…._

“Hades, I am so sorry…. That is…. I really don’t know what to say either, except that I am sure I can help you, and I know you’re helping me…. I really do think we can heal, grow beyond these traumas, together….”

He looked at her, fully, and the clarity of the path she offered called to him in winking diamond light.

“Yes, goddess. I think we can….”

“What do you need, then, Hades…? Is there anything else you want to talk about, or do you maybe need a distraction…?” She batted her eyelashes, ducking her chin slightly, and he felt her soft gasp as she _saw_ the silhouette of his dick twitch beneath the black fabric of his pants.

“Persephone, I would love a distraction; may I kiss you…?”

She looked up then, and he noted with a distinct pleasure that her jaw was set in that decisive angle once more. It called to him, demanded his worship, but it was easier, somehow, this time around to divert that King-self need beneath his own patient waiting on her consent.

“So, so formal…. Yes, you may kiss me….”

He leaned toward her, his shoulders hunched to bring him closer to her so she wouldn’t have to move. He pressed his lips to hers, and nothing more.

_She’ll decide how far to go, and ever I will follow…._

She waited there, their lips touching chastely, and he could tell she was holding her breath.

_Almost there, come on, you can do it…._

Her lips parted as she breathed out her captured breath, and he mimicked the motion, opening his mouth only as much as she did. He felt her relax, her entire body sagging as the change in sensation tore through her, leaving her weak but unable to break away.

_That’s it, goddess…._

He sucked softly on her lower lip, barely catching a micrometer of skin as he pulled away from her. Her eyes fluttered somewhere between open and closed, and he waited mere inches from her face until she finally succeeded in looking at him.

“Analysis, little goddess…?”

_And gods, you’re actually considering it!_

“I…. I liked it….”

_And that’s all that matters…._

“As did I…. What’s next…?”

“Pita….”

It took a moment for his mind to catch up, but when it did, his stomach clamored approval of the change in trajectory.

“Bloody hell, that was loud, I’m sorry, gods, that’s embarrassing!”

She laughed with him, and wasn’t it strange how nothing seemed different, even though everything was. He followed her into the kitchen, his arousal dying down once again as he devoured a handful of carrot sticks while she started rolling and baking off pitas. By the time the first few were done, he’d pulled the hummus from the fridge and poured himself a glass of cider cut with pear juice. He’d poured Persephone a glass of pomegranate juice per her request, and he settled to the table once more, ready for a not-quite brunch with his new love….

_Love. Lover…. Either, both…._

_My little goddess, as long as she’ll have me…._

She joined him at the table, the pitas steaming-hot beneath the damp towel; he was gratified to see her carefree hunger matched his own. He’d been worried her appetite would fade when she’d told him about the rape; he knew that could happen.

He was beyond happy that if anything, she seemed to have no qualm about eating her fill, even in front of him.

So many of his lovers in the past had taken extra care to avoid eating “too much,” but he adored how she enjoyed her food.

“So, I do have some more curiosities, Hades, if I can…?”

“Sure, little goddess; after all, how am I going to lower my scoundrel percentage from earlier…?”

“Oh! No, didn’t I tell you? You’re back to forty percent, after baring your soul to me….”

“Wow, back to baseline, huh…? Still, if I answer your curiosities, don’t I stand a chance of dropping that number even lower…?”

“Maybe I like you more if it stays closer to the danger zone….”

“Careful, goddess; that’s tempting Fate….”

“I laugh at Fate and scoff at Destiny!” They hooted and guffawed together for a few moments, before she regained her almost-serious manner. “I suppose I wanted to be able to put actual numbers to the subject of your previous experiences. I know you have had more than a few; I just would like to have the actual statistics, I think….”

“I have indeed had more than a few. This is going to come off rather a brag; apologies in advance.” He shoved the last bite of his current pita into his mouth, swiping the olive oil from the corner of his lips with his thumb. Cleaning _that_ off on his napkin, he swallowed and then cleared his throat with a generous swig of cut-cider. “I have been with seventeen women in my time, none of them were one-night stands. I have also been with thirty-two men, again, all recurrent over weeks and months. And I promise, Persephone, I have been thoroughly checked out by medical professionals. I am healthy, and all of my partners were as well while we were involved….”

Her strip of pita dripped a dollop of hummus into her plate as she stared at him.

“Forty-nine people?!”

“Yes. Though, all of them were years apart, and I have lived over two thousand years. Believe me, Zeus broke that number by the time he was five-hundred. I can only imagine what his count stands at now….”

“Wow…. Um….”

“…. Is there some particular concern there, Persephone? Or just general not-knowing-what-to-do-with-that-information-now-that-you-have-it?”

“The second one, maybe…. Though…. Well, okay…. You like me, a lot….”

“More than I’ve ever liked anyone. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone. But I’ll still wait.”

“I know, I feel that in my bones. But I guess what’s really shocking to me is that you have been with so many more _men_ than _women_ …. Do you… um, prefer…?”

“Oh….” _Well, looks like we’re getting into all my secrets, then. What the hell, why not…?_ “I do enjoy men. It’s a completely different energy, and I enjoy how that makes me feel. And yes, looking back, most of my relationships with men lasted longer, on the average, than my relationships with women. However, that had less to do with actually preferring men than having trouble with my women partners….

“As the King of the Underworld, I do require a Queen. But I’ve been waiting for the right woman all this time. You do remember I told you some of my reasons for being unwed that night…. Morning….” She nodded, and he swallowed another mouthful of cider before leaning onto the table with his arms crossed. “All of my female partners either came into my bed expecting to eventually be made Queen, or fearing I would ask that of them eventually. None of them were quite right, and this is where it gets weird….

“You see, it was never _my_ choice whether they would be Queen or not. And, to be entirely honest, I’ve only barely come to that realization…. Because of you….”

Her eyes went wide, but she chewed thoughtfully on her bite of pita as he leaned back in his chair again, gathering his thoughts.

“When you came here earlier this week, you were decisive. You knew what you needed, what you required of me, and I found myself feeling bound to you in ways I’d never felt before.”

“You said you were mine to command….”

“I did. I am…. The Underworld is different from the other two Realms, Persephone. It almost has a soul of its own, with all the souls it holds in keeping. As the King, I am somewhat tied into that soul. And I can feel it, reaching, claiming you…. I can’t explain it better than that right now, but I promise I’m looking into it, and when I have more information, I will share it with you. Because it involves you, is about you, and you should consider that as you spend more time here….

“However, that’s only half of the weirdness…. There have been times, in my past, when I’ve felt, um, split, within myself. Sometimes, it’s like I am Hades, the god, the normal guy, and there’s another _me_ , Hades the King.

“That day, Hades the King bound himself to you, because he felt how the Underworld was trying to reach for you. But I…. I knew I loved you, even then, but I needed to do what I could to give you your choices, your space and time to find your power here. I’ve been trying to walk that line, but I think I’ve slipped up a few times, and King-me has taken some liberties he shouldn’t. I can’t apologize, because I’m not sorry…. Or he’s not, at least…. It’s weird, and for that I am sorry, but I have never had to explain this before, because it never _mattered_ before….

“None of the women who shared my bed were meant to wear a crown beside me….”

“…. So, you had trouble with women, because there was that shadow hanging over everything, but with me…?”

“It doesn’t feel like a shadow, it feels like a light, and it’s right, Persephone…. I was only ever needing you when I was with them. You’re the only woman for me, and you don’t have to worry that I’ll be looking for a man to fill your place, either. Like I said, I enjoy men, but I am utterly devoted to you, right now, and will be for a long time yet. I’ve waited eons for you, goddess, and I’ve got centuries of stuff to share with you, when you’re ready….”

“And not one moment before…?”

He smiled at her, more than happy that she believed him enough to quote his own promises back to him.

“Precisely and exactly, beautiful Persephone….”

She beamed, and they both went back to their plates, thinking over all the words, processing all the emotions….

Finally, she pushed her plate a few inches away, and leaned over the table, her breasts threatening the seams of her sweater-dress. He stopped with his next bite halfway to his mouth, staring….

“Okay. I think I know what I want next….”

“Uh huh…?”

“I want you to finish your lunch, since you missed breakfast, and then I want to see you naked. I don’t think I want to wait for that. I feel like there’s so little I understand, and I just…. I just want, is all….”

“…. I’m yours, Persephone, to whatever end….”

“I know. Thank you. I’m going to go check on the dogs. Should I let them in, or leave them out?”

“Bring them in, I think. It may rain later, and that’s a mess we don’t need.”

“Okay. Finish your lunch, and then go wherever feels comfortable to you. I think I need you to take a little of the control, because everything else feels too awkward. I’ll find you once I get things settled with the dogs.”

She darted from the kitchen, but he could tell her entire demeanor was some shade between panic and excitement.

_So._

_This is really happening, too…._

_…._

_And to think I started this day with the worst headache of my immortal life!_

He shoved another bite of bread, dripping with olive oil and hummus, into his mouth; he brushed the crumbs from his fingers, drained his glass of cider, and carried both plates and the platter of uneaten pitas back to the stove. The pitas went into the oven, the bowl of hummus in the fridge, and then he moved the glasses from the table to the sink with the plates.

_Well then…._

_Time to go get naked for my little goddess…._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More than 1400 views, more than 120 kudos, all in four days?
> 
> I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH, THERE ARE NO WORDS, SWOONIE SHALL SIMPLY HAVE TO POUR ALL HER WORDS INTO PROVIDING THE RESOLUTIONS TO EVERYTHING WE'RE ALL WANTING FROM THIS FIC, BECAUSE YOU ALL MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO ANYTHING BUT WANT TO PLEASE YOU ALL MORE BECAUSE YOU LOVE THIS FIC SO MUCH!!!!
> 
> Okay. Now that that's out of my system:
> 
> I needed to get these questions of plot answered, so everything gets done-and-done free and clear before the Asspollo-whupping later. Now is the time for plot. 
> 
> And next comes the time for porn.
> 
> And then comes the powah....
> 
> I honestly cannot thank you all enough! You're making it so easy to give in to my kink-muses, who thrive on the love and comments and ever-climbing hit-counts....
> 
> So, Blooms will continue, most likely tomorrow - or, well later today - because days off are for writing smoot....
> 
> And after Blooms - 
> 
> Thorns....
> 
> Enjoy the night, little ones....
> 
> Swoonie loves you all....


	6. Blooms - Part the Second

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, it's time....
> 
> Within:
> 
> Innocent and not-so-innocent curious behaviors  
> Slight body-trauma themes (Hades has scars, we all know this)  
> Heavy Voyeurism/Exhibitionism exploration  
> Mentions of other kinks and acts to explore in the future  
> Themes of Dominance and Submission  
> Healthy Toy-Talk
> 
> Hades done got nekkid for his little goddess, and she wants to explore....
> 
> HAVE FUN!
> 
> Swoonie is not responsible for the reader being found out by sexy flush or blown pupils if the reader chooses to read in a public setting. Enjoy responsibility, my little ones....

_Okay, breathe Persephone...._

_It’s just a body…._

_His body…._

_Your curiosity shall now be sated…._

She peeked into the kitchen as she moved down the hall; the plates and glasses were all tidied away, so she knew he’d already proceeded as she’d requested.

His study door was open, and he wasn’t in there either.

She rounded the corner, and there was the telltale light shining from his half-opened bedroom door.

_Okay. Moment of truth, Persephone. You can always back out later, he won’t be mad, but dammit, you want this, need to know what he looks like…._

_I mean, diagrams can only tell you so much…._

_Okay. Trust yourself. Trust him…._

_And just…._

She pushed the door open further and locked her eyes on him: he was sitting on the end of his bed, feet flat on the floor and leaning on his knees just slightly with his elbows. He didn’t seem to be trying to hide his body from her sight: rather, he seemed to be going for a nonthreatening, waiting-for-her-instructions posture.

And it threw something like a hot coal low into her stomach, seeing him watching her with a studiedly-calm, patient expression on his face while he _waited_ on her pleasure….

_Okay._

_So._

_That’s a thing I **like** …._

She pushed the door closed behind her, leaning against it while she looked him over, at least the parts of him that were readily visible.

His skin was mostly the same shade of autumn sky as his face and hands, though it did seem to show patches of a darker ocean tone along the sides of his hips and knees. His neck was thick, but definitely proportionate to the width of his jaw and shoulders, a bridge between the two. His shoulders and upper arms bulged with muscle, but she wasn’t afraid of the sheer physical power the image implied….

She knew how strong he was, had felt it when he held her close on his couch: and of course, he had carried her into his home that very first night….

His waist seemed rather narrow, but she couldn’t be sure _how_ narrow, or of the degree of the angles between his ribcage and hips, because of the way he was seated on the mattress. His legs were long, but the bed was just the right height from the floor that he seemed comfortable, not over-or-under-extended with his feet flat on the black carpet.

But she wanted to see more….

“Hades, could you sit up a little straighter, please?”

“Of course, little goddess.” He smiled, and then did as she asked. His hands curled over the edge of the mattress by his hips, and ….

_So, yep, uh huh…._

_He’s gorgeous…._

She’d seen Hermes half-clothed _and_ naked before. Hermes was straight lines and flat angles, for the most part.

She hadn’t seen much of Apollo when he raped her, but she knew he was also something closer to a rectangle of a shape.

And Eros, long-legged and barrel-chested, as well as his dad, could only be described as triangles…. It was a pleasant shape, sure, but Hades….

_He’s got a damned hourglass figure, Cosmos Above!_

His waist was, in fact, narrow, but his hips and thighs were wider than that middle portion of his body, forming a delightful curvature she’d never seen on a male figure before. She felt a dampness between her thighs, and she straightened up against the door with the shock….

“Persephone, are you okay? Can I do anything to help?”

She tore her eyes from the beautiful image his curves presented, swallowing as she refocused on his face.

“No, you’re doing just fine.” _Wow. You actually sound confident, way to go, Persephone._ “I do think I’d like you to lay back on the bed now, though.” _Gotta see it, need to see it…._

“As you command, goddess….” His voice was a little raw that time, raspy and full of hunger, but he _pushed_ with his hands, _shoved_ with his feet, and she finally saw it as he laid himself along the bed, his feet still off the edge facing her.

_So, that **is** what it looks like…._

His penis had shifted when he repositioned himself to her instruction, almost flopping but not quite limp-seeming. It was obvious that he was aroused, but if she had read everything Eros had given her to research correctly, he was by no means experiencing a full erection. It rested against his stomach now, shifting with his breathing, and she found herself moving toward the bed, angling around to his left side without ever taking her eyes from the middle of his body.

From her more birds-eye view now, beside the bed and looking down on him, she could see the white and navy hairs that curled from above the base of his penis and crawled a faint trail toward his navel. They didn’t spread much to either side, probably no wider than her hand at the lowest border, but she was fascinated by the way they seemed to mark a path, offer a cradling softness to his half-hard shaft where it lay at rest on his skin. She noted that he was, in fact, uncircumcised; some of Eros’ literature had mentioned that some foreign cultures were removing the foreskin from male members for whatever religious reason, and he had been very adamant that she be aware, if she ever explored further afield, that not all men she encountered would appear the same.

But she was glad to see that Hades, at least, was intact.

It made sense, somehow, and she thought that while it did look _weird_ , this wrinkly sheath barely concealing the smooth skin peeking at her from the tip, it seemed right, natural and good for him to be as he had been made, unaltered, aside from the scars.

And they were utterly everywhere, indeed….

A few pale lines even scored his foreskin near the base, and more spiderwebbed over his scrotum beneath that.

_I hadn’t realized…._

“Hades, do your… scars, do they hurt you?”

He chuckled, but the sound was wary; she looked up from his groin, waiting patiently with as much of her heart as she could pour there into her eyes for him to feel safe.

“No, they don’t…. But I guess…. Well, you’ve seen them, all of them now, pretty much. I am not expecting us to do this anytime soon, but if you ever wished to be with me, sexually…. You don’t have to worry about getting pregnant. I’m sterile….”

“Because of the scars…?”

“That’s part of it, but…. When I was, um, inside my father, for all th-those years…. His fluids were c-c-c-constantly on my skin, everywhere, all the t-time…. When Zeus finally managed to free Poseidon and myself, we had to r-r-run. Posie hadn’t been down there as long, so his skin wasn’t as, um, t-traumatized, I guess. We had to run, and my skin tore in some p-p-pl-places from the stretching, and I fell down a lot, and that’s actually where most of the scars came from. But also, just…. For the entire time I was there inside him, I couldn’t quite ever get my lower body free of the stuff. It…. The few doctors I’ve had look into it say that basically, I just don’t function down there. My testes don’t produce sperm, so….”

_Oh, you poor…. To live with that for all this time you’ve been waiting for your Queen…._

“Hades, um, I don’t know yet, because I’m still learning, but apparently, being a fertility goddess also means I have healing powers…?”

“Persephone, as much as I appreciate your willingness to look into that, I would much rather that not be a factor on the table at the moment. I don’t want there to be any expectations, anything that looks too closely at the future like that…. Perhaps, in the future, but for now, I think it’s safer if we limit the variables to you and me as we are now….”

She looked at him, and she felt as if she saw his soul shining beneath his skin, his emotions were that apparent….

_He wants a family…. He does, I can feel that in my heart…. But he’s right: for now, for a while yet, it’s better if we focus on us. He wants me to feel safe after what Apollo did to me. If he is sterile, then, when I’m ready, we could do things, um, naturally, and I wouldn’t have to worry about that at all…._

_He’s right. Better to wait…._

_But one day…._

“You’re right, Hades. Thank you for trusting me with that; I can’t imagine you’ve told many people….”

“Most of Olympus keeps it rolling through the rumor mill pretty regularly, that I’m inadequate in that way. I mean, seventeen female partners over a few hundred years, and not one love-child…. It’s kind of obvious. But that’s beside the point…. You’re seeing me naked…. To your liking…?”

She giggled, and he smiled back when she beamed at him. “Uh-huh! But, um, I have a question.”

“As always, I’m ready to answer your curiosities….”

She pointed at his penis, her elbow tight to her ribs. “Is that average sized, or…?”

He smirked broadly, almost leering, really, before he rocked his upper body onto his elbows, lounging on his bed now. “Nope. Not to be crude, but it is rather larger than the average.”

“Ah. I guess…. I didn’t _see_ Apollo, only felt him, and I just…. I can’t imagine, with as much as _that_ hurt…. How could that possibly even fit in the same space!?”

His eyes closed, and she felt a rumble of cold-wintry power billow through the room. She recognized it from when he’d stood at the window when she first told him about the rape.

She waited, knowing he needed a moment, and she was once more caught by how it felt like she should be afraid, but truly, she only felt… attracted, aroused, needful of more of that dark and cold power he seemed unable to control for a short minute.

“Persephone, I am going to be very blunt with you again. Please hear me out….”

“Always, Hades.”

“Would you feel comfortable sitting beside me on the bed…?”

She sat, and without opening his eyes, he took both of her hands in his. He moved no other part of his body, but she realized she was close enough to touch him now, if he would only release her hands.

_Wait, Persephone. Just wait…._

_It will be worth it, and he needs to protect you…._

_This is King-Hades, I think. Feels different…._

“Persephone, it hurt because he raped you. If you had been with someone you trusted, and who cared for you, and appreciated the gift you _chose_ to give them, then no matter how large the penis, you would not have hurt.” He met her eyes finally, and there was a power there, a promise, shining red and bloody in his eyes. “Persephone, if you are ever ready to have me inside you, I guarantee, with every ounce of ichor in my veins, that you will not hurt when I put my penis inside you. There may be pain, but there will be pleasure that will balance and overwhelm that: that is _why_ pleasure exists…. But more than anything, you need to understand that there are hundreds of ways to share intimacy, pleasure, and fun in a bed and elsewhere with someone you love. I will wait for _that_ particular kind of sex, even if you never want it from me…. Because I will never hurt you, and I need you to feel that, know that, before anything else happens from this moment on….”

“I feel that….” Her voice was nearly silent, breathless with the influence of the power cradling her soul from his eyes. “I trust you, I believe you….”

He squinted slightly, seemed to realize he’d unintentionally put the whammy on her, and with a visible effort he turned his head away from her, though he still held her hands gently in his own. “I’m sorry, Persephone…. I think that was King-me, there; that got intense, and I’m sorry for that, but I meant everything I… we, said….”

“I know!” It was nearly a shriek, but she laughed a little as she tried to find coherent sense once more. “I…. I think I’m starting to tell the difference, and it’s weird, but I liked feeling that…. It felt like your power was wrapping me up, like I was safe and protected and held by your power…. Weird, strange, but I liked it….”

“Intense, though; I just wish I could tone it down!”

They sat for a few heartbeats, his thumbs caressing the backs of her hands. She finally twitched her fingers in his grip, and he released her. She sat back on her heels, and he turned his head to look at her once more.

“Well, little goddess…. Any other curiosities about the naked god before you…?”

She smiled, and dozens of thoughts flashed through her head too fast for her to follow. She finally snagged one, examining it with a clinical inner eye, and then grinned at him.

“Yep. I’m still curious about the flesh-light. Could I see you use it?”

His jaw dropped open, and she snickered as he mouthed the air like a beached fish. She moved her eyes to his groin, and as if it sensed her focus, his penis jumped, tensing and relaxing for a single pounding beat of his heart. The foreskin seemed to tighten, the shining skin of the glans peeking a little further out into the open space, and she smiled as she catalogued the responses.

“You want me… to m-m-masturbate… in front of you…?!”

“Uh-huh…. I told you, I like to see your reactions! How else do you expect me to learn?!”

The sound he made would have caused a stepped-on frog to cringe in sympathy.

She giggled and bounced up from the bed, darting on a beeline for his bathroom.

“Wait, Persephone, hang on!”

She spun in a tight circle, the few flyaways from her bun swishing over her eyes and catching against her nose and lashes. “What?! I know where it is!”

“I know that! But, um, you’ll also need to get the lube….” He was grinning wider now, the smile slowly spreading over his lips as he began to fall in line with her plan. “It’s in the wire basket on the shelf beside the shower. The label says _Shibari_.”

“Okay, on it!”

She resumed her dash toward the bathroom door, slinging it open and nearly flying inside.

_This is gonna be fun!_

* * *

_Holy shit, I was **not** expecting that, but gods-fuckin-damn, yes **please!**_

He hadn’t had many chances to indulge his exhibitionist tendencies very often; only a few of his former partners had actively wanted him to play at “showing off,” and only one of those had all but needed it regularly. That guy had been fun, but he’d gone on, as they always did, to fall in love with someone else, someone perfect for them, and Hades….

_Doesn’t matter now…._

_She’s turning out to be quite the little voyeur herself; just don’t scare her off, and this is gonna be great!_

Adjusting some pillows behind his back, he settled himself for the coming fun. He began stroking his penis with a loose fist, not quite enough precum flowing freely yet for a simple handjob to be enjoyable, but she _had_ said she might want him to “take a little more initiative….”

He waited, watching for her re-emergence from the corner of his left eye, and a half-dozen languid strokes later she came back into his bedroom, her eyes immediately locking on what he was doing with his right hand.

“Did I say you could do that…?!”

He froze, his jaw falling open helplessly.

“Uhhhhh….”

“You really do like when I act like a Queen, don’t you…?” She was far too smug, but damn it all, he wanted _more_. She paced toward him, her hips swaying, and he could have sworn the shadow of a crown spiked up above her forehead….

“Yes, goddess, I honestly can’t think of anything I would prefer more than you commanding me, controlling me, and I can tell you with utter certainty that I have never before been able to fully indulge my submissive side, please, please, _please_ will you keep doing things like that?!”

“Hmmmm…. I think I could do that…. I like how it makes me feel powerful, and it feels safe right now like that…. Okay, take this.” She extended the fleshlight to him, and he took it in his left hand, his right still immobile around his cock. “Now, how much of this lube do you need, and does it just go in the toy there?”

“One point to remember, little goddess: there is _no such **thing**_ as too much lube.” She laughed brightly when he growled that out, and he smiled. This was different from any other dominance and submissive dynamic he’d ever felt; her innocent control was geared entirely toward exploration, and his obedience to her will was fueled nearly entirely by his need to protect her, to ensure her pleasure, even if he never got to touch her.

He’d never felt anything like it, and he knew he’d never get enough.

And he had to wonder:

_Gods, would she be interested in pegging me…? Oh, please, **please** let that be on your list of curiosities, goddess!_

“Okay, so, never too much, but does it go inside?”

“Oh! Sorry, I was rabbit-pathing there. Yes, some there, and some on my hand, please, goddess….” He inverted the fleshlight, and she manipulated the pump on the bottle, generous trickles of the water-based lube dribbling down the inner walls of the toy. He finally let go of his cock, his right hand palm-up for the lube, and she pumped three more squirts into his hand. His cock twitched as his arousal fired up a notch at how serious she looked while she gave him the offering; a priestess in a temple might have worn a similar expression when bestowing blessings to penitent farm-folk.

She snapped her head around as his dick jumped, and before he could move his near-dripping hand back to really get this party started, she lunged, the bottle of lube hovering over the tip of him as she pressed the pump-top.

“Goddess, hells below!” His hips jerked up, and she sat back on her heels, a fox-fire grin on her face.

“Sorry. Did it hurt?”

He stared at her, panting as sparks sizzled along his every nerve ending. “Nope. Just…. Surprised me, you just surprised me….”

“Did you like it…?”

“Ab-so-lutely, I did….” He wrapped his hand around the base of himself, twisting slightly as he started stroking again. “Now, you wanted to watch, yes?”

“Mmmmmhmmmmmm….”

“Like what you, _fuck_ , see so far…?”

“Mmmmmm…. You’re flushing, Hades; it’s turning you really dark, down there, and up on your neck….”

“Yep, that’s what happens….” _Gods, she’s driving me crazy! So innocent, but damn, she’s enjoying this, too!_ “Goddess, Persephone, tell me something….”

“I’ll try; what do you want to know?”

 _Don’t scare her off, don’t fuck this up…._ “Do you understand a little more about fantasies now, or should I tell you another one of mine…?”

“Hmmmmm, you could tell me another one…. The more experience I have to pull from, the better I could understand, after all….” Her voice had dropped nearly an octave and a half, and he’d be damned if there weren’t shadows drifting in that tone….

_Darkness, dread and terrible, **please** never stop surprising me!_

“Well, since the moment I saw you, I knew I … shit … wanted to feel your hands on me. So small, but your fingers, fuck, they’re so slender…. I just know it would feel incredible….” He whipped his hand from his cock as he finished one tight-squeezing upstroke, spinning the fleshlight around and gliding it into place over his shining shaft. He moaned, unable to hold back the guttural sound, as the toy enveloped him in slick, ridged, molded softness.

His left hand gripping tight on the outer casing, he blinked slowly before he could focus on Persephone’s awe-struck gaze. He raised and lowered the toy, his hips following the motion against all his efforts to remain still, and he chuckled as her eyes opened wider, seeing his involuntary motion.

“I imagine how you’ll squeeze around me, not quite able to completely reach all the way around…. The way you’ll gasp when my hips just won’t stay still…. Fuck, goddess, it’ll be the highlight of my immortal life when you kiss the tip, just a little _touuuchhh_ ….” He growled, fighting down his release, freezing as every muscle locked tight. His eyes were squinted shut, and he felt her shift a little, but it was too hard to hold back, and he wanted this to last longer than a damn minute and a half!

Her fingers molded around the casing between his wide-spread digits, and his eyes flew open, his hips spasming as he saw her kneeling by his knee, taking the toy from him with careful motions.

“ _Persephone, you don’t –”_

“I want to…. I don’t know if I’m ready to touch your skin, but I want to try this….” She peeled his hand from the flesh-light, and both of hers took its place. She pulled the toy up, her eyes focusing carefully on watching his throbbing blue skin revealed from the base to nearly the tip before she _pushed_ it carefully back down, twisting a little – intentionally or not – as she did. His head crashed backward into the pillows piled behind him, and he _screamed_.

**_“Oh goddess, please, yes, fuck me!”_ **

“I am, Hades, look….”

He couldn’t disobey. He strained to pull himself back up, fists bunched in the sheets for support, and her eyes met his from above his dick, from above the toy in her hands. She fucked him with his toy, her tongue brushing the corner of her mouth as she took note of every shift and twitch along the length of his body as he watched her, as she took control from him and found her power in his bed.

It crashed over him like a landslide, and he felt the glass, empty on his bedside table from earlier in the day, explode as he climaxed into the toy. She pushed the thing down, nearly grinding the base of it into his crotch, burying him fully within the slick walls as he groaned and grunted through his release. His stomach clenched near-painfully with every pulsing shot, and he even felt his ass twitching without even being touched.

Somehow, he kept his eyes on hers the entire time, unblinking, unable to break the soul-sparking contact….

The too-intense contractions and aftershocks finally released him. He fell limp to the pillow-pile, his eyes drifting closed as ichor raced through his veins, unable to know where to go after such a sudden climax.

He felt something bump the top of the toy, the cap on the end of the thing over the head of his still-hard cock within.

He managed to crane his neck, peering down his heaving chest at her.

Her lips were pursed in a soft kiss to the plastic, and he thought his heart must have exploded into butterflies in his chest.

“One day, Hades, but until then….”

He melted into the pillows and mattress, a sigh torn from him at the promise….

_One day…._

_This is enough until then…._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how the timing just works out sometimes...? 
> 
> I've known for a few weeks now that I wanted to write a world-built head-canon for Hades' sterility issue, ever since it became canon in FP - and NOW IT'S OFF FP, AND I'M WRITING THIS FIC, SOOOOOO!!!!
> 
> Also, I've been searching for an explanation for MONTHS as to WHY Hades does not have scars on his face!?!?! I mean, honestly, that makes no sense....
> 
> UNLESS!
> 
> What if, just what if, it had something to do with being trapped in stomach acid for YEARS, and then they had to do an escape, though the wild-lands, and poor boy just - fell down a lot...? And his skin was weakened from all that shit, so....
> 
> SCARS! But not on his face, cause maybe, he was able to keep his head above the liquid once he got bigger....
> 
> It's probably nowhere near canon, but it works for me, and EXPLAINS THE STERILITY ISSUE TOO!
> 
> Forgive a Swoonie for more plot with your porn....
> 
> BUT YOU GOT THE SMOOTYSMOOT THIS TIME, YAY!!! 
> 
> Was it good for you...? lol....
> 
> Also, Shibari is an actual real-world water-based lube brand.... I only know this because my hair colorist and his hubby use it.... Sorry, guys, I take inspo where I get it....
> 
> Okay.... 
> 
> Once again, I wish to thank ALL OF YOU for diving into my headspace with this fic. I promise, we are now getting back to the reason I started writing this thing - The reason it's titled Wick'd....
> 
> I promise you now - I'm a dog mom - none of the pack will die....
> 
> But shit's going down when Apollo steps over the line....
> 
> Thorns are coming....


	7. Thorns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings - Within are intense, visceral, triggering sections and themes of:
> 
> Stalking and abusive behaviors (including one scene from Apollo's POV)  
> Rape and Recovery from that trauma  
> Reactions of outside parties to learning Apollo raped Persephone  
> Violence and Intimidation, both to Persephone and one of the Pack, including one scene of animal cruelty  
> Vengeance and Justice  
> Explicit and Implied gore and beat-down (most of the "action" is left off-scene, but there is some ichor-shed described)
> 
> The scene that is included from Apollo's POV is marked with asterisks and in-line warnings. I have done my best to construct the narrative so that any reader who needs to avoid reading that particular section can do so without losing plot. The scene is only included to further increase the emotional investment in seeing Persephone take her justice, receive her vengeance; it is not written or intended to excuse or justify a rapist. However, seeing the world through a rapist's eyes even for a few hundred words is not everyone's desire, I understand this. You can finish the story without it, but I have included it here, as I have included other "villainous" POV sections in other fics for the same effect - namely, increasing the reader's loathing of the character in question. 
> 
> Essentially, don't read it if you don't want to for any reason. You will lose nothing of the plot by skipping this section, and again, I have made every effort to mark it thoroughly with asterisks *** and in-line warnings before and after the section. 
> 
> Take care of yourselves, but know that this chapter is self-contained, no true cliffhanger, and finishes the arc we began with the prompt - to see Hades lose his shit when Apollo crosses too many lines....
> 
> Edited on 3-27-2020 - It is somewhat possible to skip this chapter entirely if you wish. All of the violence is contained in this single chapter. Chapter 8 picks up with the aftermath - references only, no further bloodshed.
> 
> Enter and find closure, my darlings....

Artemis checked her phone again, for what seemed the three thousandth time since she woke up.

_Still nothing…._

_Why are those stupid Underworld goons working her so hard?!_

Her front door’s knob clicked, and she spun on the couch, staring at her brother as he came swaggering in like he owned the place.

“’Poll, seriously, I’m not supposed to have guys over, association rules, geez, you’re such a selfish jerk!”

“Heard from her?”

“No, but it’s sweet of you to keep checking in….”

“Uh huh, sure. Look, has it ever occurred to you that she could be trapped down there?”

“Oh please, the Underworld may be a little backward and stuff, but it’s not _that_ messed up. Besides, it’s only been a little more than a day since I last heard from her; she’s fine, just working nights, I told you….”

“Look, sis….” He crashed to couch beside her, his arm sprawling over the back, tweaking her hair with his fingertips like he knew she hated. She smacked his arm, and he stared at the television, muted on the news channel, while he continued talking. “You only heard from her, on an actual call, that first day. Since then, it’s been text only. Anyone could be texting _for_ her. I really think you ought to call, not text.”

“Why don’t you, huh?!”

“You’re her roommate; you’ll be able to tell if something’s wrong when you hear her voice, won’t you?”

“Yeah, but I’m sure it’s fine, ‘Poll; she’s not in trouble, honest. Maybe there’s just bad reception in the dorms down there….”

“Dorms? What dorms?!”

“Easy, bro, dorms, barracks, whatever: where the psychopomps live while they’re new to their jobs….”

“…. Artemis, that’s not a real thing….”

“…. How would you know…?”

“Everyone knows…. Just ask Hermes, he’s a psychopomp….”

“But he lives up here, anyway, and he’s only part-timing down there…!”

“Artemis, I really think one of us should go check on Persie.”

“I have a meeting with Hestia this morning, I can’t just flit down to the Underworld!”

“I’ll go. I’ll keep you posted, okay?”

“Fine. Just…. Let her decide what she wants to do, as long as she’s actually okay, yeah? I think she’s just really enjoying being out from under Demeter’s shadow….”

“Sure, sis, whatever….”

Artemis got up, and Apollo followed her out the door. She locked up, heading around the house to her bike leaning against the garage door. She threw her helmet on her head, kicked the bike to life, and pelted her brother’s car with gravel as she raced down the drive.

_I’m sure she’s fine, and ‘Poll will check on her…._

_But if she’s not, I’mma kick some big blue ass!_

* * *

“I’m sorry, Persephone….”

“No, Hades, it’s okay, really. I already called Hecate, and, well, I like taking care of you….”

“S’posed to be the other way….”

“Hush. Just get some sleep, okay? I’ll come check on you soon, maybe lay down with you….”

“…. ‘ould li’ tha’….”

He was almost snoring by the time she made it out of the bedroom door.

It had been a week since the migraine-fleshlight-curiosities day, and Persephone couldn’t remember a week more filled with love in her entire life. It wasn’t even the increasing physical intimacy she was discovering with Hades: the more frequent kisses, the more open touches, the sweet cuddles in his bed in the dark….

There was something growing between them, light and dark and full of promise, and she couldn’t help but think of it as an entity of its own:

The Future, Their Future….

Together….

Not a morning went by without quiet “I love you’s” floating between them; not a day at work passed without friendly back-and-forth texts keeping them in touch even when they were dozens of floors apart in Tower One; not an evening went by without a question or two asked and answered, as openly and honestly and matter-of-factly as the first few had been.

She had asked most of the questions, but he’d begun asking a few in turn.

Like last night:

_Persephone, has that little yellow book of yours got a section on pegging?_

_Yep, sure does…!_

_…. Could I interest you in that…?_

And after she nearly passed out from laughing at the puppy-dog look in his eyes, he’d opened his laptop, pulled up a website with a selection of strap-ons, and they’d negotiated who was buying the eight-inch magenta dildo and black-leather harness ensemble….

_It’s going in my ass, I’m buying it!_

_It’s going on my crotch, I should buy it!_

_…. It’s your first one; let me get it for you as a gift._

_…. Only if I get to buy the next one…._

His only response had been to click “Add to Cart” with a small moan….

She was excited; he’d paid nearly twice the price of the kit for overnight delivery, and the tracking app said it should be arriving by four o’clock. Of course, they’d assumed they’d be going into the office today, but he’d woken up with a migraine again, and that just meant that they could maybe play as soon as the toy arrived.

_But first, he needs to kill this headache…._

_…. I’m wondering if this is maybe something from his trauma…._

_Huh. Might be worth looking into, see if I can **feel** something that might be causing this…._

_No matter right now. The meds are doing their thing, and these good boys and girls need to do their thing!_

She let the dogs out into the romp-yard, standing to one side as the army of furry bodies tumbled through the door and out into the misty morning.

_I think this is a good next step. I’m not quite ready to be skin to skin, I don’t think, but the harness can go over some shorts without too much issue. And it is safer, definitely, for me to be the one doing the penetrating._

_And he seems to want it so badly…._

_He **said** he doesn’t prefer men over women, but if he likes dick **that** much…._

_Nope, you’re overthinking again. He wants to share this with you, wants to give you this control, and you know how much he likes being under your control…._

**_Literally_ ** _under, this evening…._

She settled onto the couch, pulling her phone closer, and noticed the most recent message from Artemis:

**Hey, just checking in on you, house feels quiet without you.**

_Awwwww…._

_Well, I think I’ve nearly got a plan figured out. Hecate’s compiling that procedures-report for me, so…._

_Let’s see…._

**Text draft to Artemis:  
** **I’m sorry about that, but I had to do this.  
** **Can you meet me on Monday, down here,  
** **before you go to work? Around 4, maybe?  
** **I really do have something to talk to you about,  
** **but I need a few more days to get the time off.**

_Not a lie, I will have to leave Tower One early…._

_Okay. Yep._

_It’s time. It’s Friday morning, she’ll be laying down soon…. Or no, doesn’t she have a meeting with Hestia? Maybe…._

_Hmmmm…. Send it now, or later?_

**Message sent.**

_No more waiting. No more running._

_…._

_The future Queen of the Underworld has shit to handle…._

* * *

Artemis pulled her phone from her back pocket as she tossed her helmet on the handlebars.

_Oh!_

**Text from Persephone:  
** **I’m sorry about that, but I had to do this.  
** **Can you meet me on Monday, down here,  
** **before you go to work?** **Around 4, maybe?  
** **I really do have something to talk to you about,  
** **but I need a few more days to get the time off.**

_…. Sure, why not…?_

_She sounds serious._

**Text draft to Persephone:  
** **Sure, but are you positive  
** **you don’t want to meet up sooner?  
** **You sound real serious….  
** **Has something happened?  
** **Need me to whale on someone for you?**

**Message sent.**

_Okay, don’t freak out, Arti. She’s a little stressed, probably, but who wouldn’t be…? Big project at work, new place to stay, in the dark, so far from everything she’s ever known…._

She tapped her foot on the pavement, her riding boot’s numerous buckles jingling like spurs.

_Nope. Can’t wait on ya, Perse girl. Gotta go appease the alpha bitch…._

Her phone pinged, and she thumbed the lock screen.

**Text from Persephone:  
** **I am serious, and something did happen,  
** **but it was before I started this project.  
** **I promise Monday is fine, and if there’s  
** **any whaling to be done, I’ll handle it.  
** **Promise.  
** **I learned from the best, after all, Huntress…. :P**

_…._

_Whoa…. Okay, that did **not** sound like her…._

**Text draft to Jerkface:  
** **Bro, you might be right.  
** **You promise you’ll go  
** **check on her this morning?**

**Message sent.**

_…._

_Come on, come on; I **hear** you tapping the window, Hestia, just hang on, hold your hearth pans!_

**Text from Jerkface:  
** **You got it, sis.**

_Okay._

_That’s taken care of._

_I’m sure she’ll be okay…._

“Artemis, honestly, you just stand out, on my drive, playing with your phone when you _know_ you’re seven minutes late already!”

“It’s fine, Hestia, I was checking in with Persephone, seriously, chill out!”

* * *

“Hades, how are you feeling now…?”

“Mmmph….” His eyes opened a crack before squeezing closed again. “Still not good….”

“I’ll get you some more Naproxen, then.” She floated off the bed so she wouldn’t jostle him. He was flat on his back, his arms straight by his sides: doing everything he could to reduce the work his heart had to do, because every pounding beat shot fire through his skull.

At least, that’s how he’d explained it to her in a grating whisper when she came back into the room after texting Artemis.

She’d cuddled up beside him, holding him gently and keeping as still as possible, timing her breathing to his own to minimize friction. It had been a couple of hours already, but his headache hadn’t eased enough to let him sleep.

_Damn. This is worse than last week. Is there someone I should call? Maybe Hecate knows his doctor’s numbers?_

She pulled the bottle of Naproxen from the cabinet, tipping three pills carefully into her palm while holding the bottle smashed against her stomach to muffle the rattle. She noted that there were only six more pills within the plastic walls, and made a note to add it to the list for the shopping tomorrow.

_Provided he doesn’t need me to go get more tonight…._

_Let’s hope this headache gets the fuck out before then…._

It wasn’t even that she really was wanting to peg him; she just hated the thought of him hurting for hours on end, with no relief in sight and a dwindling supply of medication.

_Okay. He’s taking three pills every three hours. It’s ten in the morning, and he’s got two more doses…. If his headache hasn’t eased up by 3, I’ll have to go to the store._

_Got a plan, good stuff._

She took the pills, left the bottle on the counter by the sink, and tiptoed her way out of the bathroom and through the bedroom.

It was raining lightly outside, and she realized the dogs were huddling on the patio as she made her way to the kitchen for a glass of ice water and another of grape juice.

_I’m sorry, babies, just hang on; let me take care of Daddy, and then I’ll come get you all dried off…._

Pomelia was stationed between Cerberus’ front paws, smiling through the sliding glass door when Persephone left the kitchen for Hades’ room again. She giggled at the picture of the Underworld’s fiercest defender acting the umbrella to the dainty little darling.

_Such a good boy…._

She placed the glass of water on top of his dresser as she entered the bedroom; she’d come fetch it from the coaster if he was ready for it after his medicine. She flew over the bed again, settling as gently as possible to the mattress. “Open up, Majesty….” She kept her voice quiet, but he still moaned. She couldn’t tell if it was mild arousal or pain, but the little half-smile that forced his dimples to peek at her from his cheeks told her maybe it was the former, as she’d intended. He opened his mouth, and she dropped the pills to his tongue.

She swallowed hard herself as his lips brushed her fingers in a microscopic kiss before she pulled away.

“Now, Hades, I know you prefer wine, but this grape juice is better for you, trust me. Lots of good minerals here, should help your head.” She helped him lean up, and he didn’t protest as she held the glass to his lips and tilted it for him to drink. He drained nearly half the glass before his eyebrows twitched, and she relaxed her arm, letting him sink back to the mattress. He didn’t even want a pillow under his head, because that pressure was too much.

**_Thank you, goddess…._ **

She stared at him. _What the hell…?!_

_…._

_Hades…?_

His eyelids fluttered, and she kept staring at him, her mouth hanging open, barely breathing, as his little worry-wrinkles dug into the skin between his eyebrows.

**_Persephone…?_ **

_Um, yeah?_

**_…. We’ll talk about this later…._ **

_Yeah, probably best…._ “Um, sleep now….”

**_Yes, goddess…._ **

She floated carefully off the bed once more, drifting toward the glass of water on the dresser. She brought both tumblers to the bedside cabinet, and then she left his bedroom, closing the door behind her with only the softest click of the latch.

_Holy shit, what the hell was that, Tartarus below, oh my gods!?!_

She paced down the hallway, moving in an almost-trance toward the sliding glass door. The dogs crammed through before she had the portal open halfway, shaking off and speckling the zone around the entryway with a fine mist of rainwater. She snagged a few towels from the basket in the corner, capturing the dogs one after the other and giving their coats a thorough ruffle. Russell and Big John both gave her toothy-grins over their shoulders as they wriggled with the scruffling; Cerberus stood stoic and proud as she smoothed him dry; Cordon Bleu, as always, protested with a deadly glare; Fudge, JP, and Mushroom all kept trying to lick their paws while she was rubbing them left and right, back and forth.

Once that was done, she picked up Pomelia in a fresh towel and went to the couch; sitting down against the arm and tucking her feet into the crevice between the cushions, she cuddled the little darling close to her pounding heart.

_He wasn’t kidding, was he, when he said the Underworld might be changing me, claiming me…._

_That is definitely not something Eros or anyone has ever said happens to two people in love!_

_Well, not exactly. It’s supposed to be **like** you can read each other’s mind, not actually talk without talking!_

_He said we’ll figure it out later, and we will…._

_But my gods, that’s intense, more intense than when King-him comes out to say hi…._

_It’s so…._

_It’s intimate, is what it is…._

_Do I like that…?_

_…._

_I…. I don’t dislike it…._

_In fact, it almost seems like I’m comforted by it, by knowing I could maybe talk to him, even if he wasn’t right beside me…._

_No, that’s a dangerous trail, Persephone! Don’t you **dare** experiment while he’s asleep! That **would** be an invasion, breaking his trust…._

_Yep. Just wait._

_It’s not like you **need** it, not like it’s a life or death thing…._

Pomelia settled into her lap with the tiniest grunt Persephone had ever heard.

_Awwww, precious darling, you’re too cute! Where’s your brush…?_

The rest of the pack began to settle down for naps as the rain fell more heavily outside the King’s home, and Persephone felt her heart settle with them as the Underworld’s quiet peacefulness swallowed them all in a pocket of damp-curtained dimness….

She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until the knocking on the front door woke her, and Cerberus began growling from the doorway into the hall leading to the front foyer….

* * *

*****This section is written from Apollo’s POV.*****

It is possible to continue the story without losing any essential plot if you choose to skip this section.

More asterisks will be placed at the end of this section for those who feel they should avoid reading this section.

His car’s headlights shone on the pavement, lighting the overflowing darkness with brightness fitting for the Lord of the Sun. His hands twisted on the steering wheel, crinkling the khaki leather as he poured his frustration into the motion.

_Knew it was a lie…._

_Little pink bitch, thinks she can just hide out down here, like I won’t come and get her, bring her back where she belongs!_

_Honestly, who does she think she is?!_

_And then, what, did she think anyone would be dumb enough to believe that crap about **dorms** for the rookie soul-stealers…? Honestly, and my sister fell for it…._

_Gods, she’s such a mess…._

_I knew it, I knew it that night, outside Arti’s house…._

_But he’s a King, what could I do then?_

_Now, though…._

_Now, I’ve got all the fuel I need to light this stupid Underworld ablaze…._

_She’s been staying at his house according to that satyr at the donut shop. How else would they be able to arrive together every morning…?_

_Who does he think he’s fooling?!_

_Everyone knows they’re all three cut from the same cloth; Zeus is a horndog, Poseidon **and** his fish-tailed chick are both sluts…._

_Why should the other one be any different…?_

_And if this don’t get that platinum-blonde bitch to let Persie off the hook for this whole maidenhood shit…._

_If spending two weeks holed up in the King of the Underworld’s love nest don’t snap that line right the hell now…._

_Then I’ve still got the pics…. Darken the color, what little of me is visible down there could pass for Zeus…._

_And no one would think twice about him fucking a hot little minx like her; she’ll be out of that cult, and she won’t have anyone to turn to but me…._

_Who else would have her, after she bedded two out of three Kings?_

_This is gonna all be done, today, one way or the other…._

_She’s mine…._

He killed the engine and coasted to a stop on the driveway. A quick call to the main Underworld Corps switchboard had given him the number to Persephone’s office phone: voicemail. Another quick check had the King’s secretary telling him the King was unavailable, could she take a message.

But the lights were out here at the house on the hill; it wasn’t like it was hard to find, it was a fucking mansion on a hill, pretentious prick….

He ducked into the rain and darted up the front steps. A low rumble of thunder rolled through the concrete under his feet as he raised his hand and knocked on the door.

_Seriously…? I ain’t leavin’, you may as well just –_

The door swung open, red vines curling around the edge of the black-toned ironwood, and he glared at Persephone at the other end of the front hallway, a stupid little dog cradled in her arms like a spoiled brat kid, and the obsidian-dark hound with eyes of ice beside her hip.

He stepped inside, and the door closed quietly behind him. One or the other of the vines trailed over the shoulder of his jacket, and he heard the leather tear as she reined in her hissy fit.

_Little. Bitch._

“Persephone, really, did you think you could hide from me forever?”

*****This ends the Apollo POV section.*****

Major plot points are included in the following paragraphs for continuity’s sake.

* * *

_Cerberus, stay close. Do nothing unless I say so._

She _pushed_ the thought, as if it was a ray of light, from her mind and toward the general space where Cerberus’ head was hovering beside her hip; at the same time, her vines reached down the hall, opening the black-gilded ironwood door. She held Pomelia close to her chest, a shield around her heart, made of power and purpose in caring for the ones she loved, protecting her as Apollo entered the foyer. She let one of her vines tear a small gouge in the shoulder of his leather jacket as she retracted them from the door, relishing the victory.

A dim flickering almost-flame seemed to brush back toward her from the angular muzzle in her peripheral vision, and within that fuzzy, not-quite-there touch, she felt intentions, emotions, needs:

_[Support. Defend. Protect. Home. Love.]_

Her black-velvet bodyguard was ready, waiting for her word of command, and she was ready to face her rapist and take this stand. His words were faint in her ears while she communicated with Underworld’s Guardian, but she still heard him: “Persephone, really, did you think you could hide from me forever?”

_I’m destined to be the fucking Queen of the Underworld, you purple-skinned, pus-brained, maggot-moraled stalking rapey bastard. You’re on my turf, and you will **not** hurt me today._

“I am not hiding from you. I am spending time with Hades and making space for myself, since you constantly were invading my space in Olympus. I told you there was nothing between us. You obviously chose not to hear me. Let me say it in plain language that even you can understand: Fuck Off. Do not come near me again. Do not speak to me again. Leave me alone.”

She watched as his eyes flashed yellow; it should have been terrifying, had been mere weeks before, but now: Now, she only smiled. If he would be foolish enough to try anything here, in Hades’ own house…?

He was going to regret it….

“And just what do you think your Mommie Dearest is going to think when I tell her I found you here, shacking up with his Royal Deadness, huh? What about Arti? She’s worried about you, Persie; she asked me to come down here, to make sure you weren’t being held hostage.” He started pacing toward her, stalking her like a starving wolf seeking a winter-dry bone. She held her ground, Cerberus tensing beside her hip, waiting for the command, her command. “Honestly, Persie, you know this will never work. He’s all but a walking corpse himself; you’re Spring. You belong with the Sun….”

Her vines threaded through the air before him, a barrier meant to warn, to speak volumes in coiling lengths of thorns and splintery-strength. He stopped before it, his yellow eyes shining bright on the crimson of her power.

“If you don’t stop this petty nonsense and come back to Olympus with me, I’ll show everyone the pictures, and they’ll think it was Zeus. After all, after you’ve been shacked up down _here_ , they’ll all think you’re a King-fucking slut. Come back with me, and they’ll never know how poor your choices have been.”

She took a breath, held Pomelia tighter to her chest, and forced down the pain. None of what he said was true, but it still hurt, gods, it hurt…. She knew now, what she wanted, what she needed….

She needed her King beside her, and that wasn’t weakness.

Vines needed trellises, or they would fall….

_Hades, wake up. Apollo is here, and he won’t leave. I have Cerberus, but I need you, too. Please, my King, hear your Queen._

“Apollo, get out of Hades’ home, now, and never come near me again.”

“Uck! Didn’t you hear me, Persie?! Your reputation is fucking ruined if you turn me down again! Can you really be that stupid, huh?”

“ _Leave_.”

“Or what, huh?” He took another step forward, pushing through her vines, and her mind went blank. His hands were reaching for her, and Cerberus was stepping backward, staying by her side, waiting for her command, but she couldn’t think, he was going to hurt her again –

“You think playing _house_ with some half-dead fucker is better than being with me, that it?! Gods, you’re such a child!”

With a tiny yelping squeal, Pomelia was pulled from Persephone’s arms and flung down the hall behind Apollo. Cerberus’ growl drowned the rumble of thunder that rocked the house as the storm increased in intensity, and Persephone shrieked as the little dog tumbled across the floor nearly a dozen feet away. Apollo’s fingers latched around her upper arm, and she shoved both of her hands against his chest, trying to break free.

The thunder crashed again, and she realized that it wasn’t the storm….

It was coming from behind her, originating from the billowing maelstrom of fiery heat and searing cold that was suddenly _there_ in the house:

From her King.

A blast of heat flared over her arm, over Apollo’s fingers, and though she gasped, she realized in the same moment that she wasn’t actually burned. Apollo, however, was sporting four near-black fingertips, and he was backing away slowly as Hades moved up alongside her.

She stared at him, at her King, and she felt the scale-like leaves blossoming along her shoulders and hips beneath her t-shirt and cottony-soft pajama pants.

Blacker than the voids between stars, speckled with constellations of blue-white that had no equal in the skies over the mortal realm, threaded with blazing streaks of magma-red, the King of the Underworld prowled toward the one who had defiled his home, threatened his Queen, hurt his darling Pomelia….

“Πάρτε τον επάνω, Κέρβερος. Δεν θέλω το αίμα του στο έδαφός μου.”

In her mind, the words rang like silver-shining bells, echoed like spears and shields over fields red with blood and flame: _Take him above, Cerberus. I don’t want his blood on my soil._

Cerberus flew toward Apollo with a hideous snarl, fangs sinking into Apollo’s bicep as the purple god howled. With a flash of green light, hound and god disappeared from the hallway, and Hades turned to face Persephone. His eyes were as black as his skin, swirling with the same nebulas of ice and dancing fiery streaks as the rest of him. He was shirtless, his grey sweats stark against the picture of primal power he presented in the entryway.

“Περσεφόνη, Είσαι πληγωμένος?” _Persephone, are you hurt?_

“No, I’m not hurt, but….”

He was already moving, kneeling beside the tiny brown and white ball of fur in the next heartbeat’s song. A soft whimper left the dog, but Hades’ cosmic-toned fingertips were gentle as snowflakes upon the dog’s huddled body. A glacial light blazed brightly over Pomelia’s fur, her coloring shifting to blue and black in the ethereal glow. Hades stood, and Pomelia got to her feet, shook once, and danced up onto her hind legs, her front paws barely reaching above Hades’ ankle and the bottom hem of his pants.

Persephone gasped, her tree-wings exploding from behind her back, but if Hades heard her, or noticed the sudden rain of petals that were falling from nowhere in his front hall, he gave absolutely no indication. He stared at the front door, and then began prowling toward it, his eyes shining against the dark panels of the wood. The door flew open, revealing Apollos’ violet car parked crookedly in his front drive.

Persephone paced quietly behind him, unsure how close was too close, but needing to see, needing to know what her King was capable of: she could feel it, something was coming closer, some delicious vengeance was nearly at hand.

Pomelia stood in the hall, wagging happily with her silky tail whipping the air, watching the petals raining down as Persephone approached the front door.

The tires on Apollo’s car exploded with concussive _thuds_ , plumes of dust billowing up before the pavement began to bubble, turning to a shiny, tarry gel. A ten-foot wide, fifteen-foot long patch of the asphalt began to melt, the blown tires sinking into the substance, and then the shell over the upper-most layer split, cracked, revealing random streaks of blinding orange and red.

_Lava…._

_He turned the pavement, the ground, to lava…._

_Yes, my King, melt it down…._

Hades chuckled as the acrid fumes began billowing up from the melting rubber and chrome. He looked to the sky, the violet and navy clouds above billowing and roiling like the magma taking her rapist’s car apart; he stared at the sky, and he extended his left hand to the side, in front of her, waiting….

“Περσεφόνη, Έπεσε στην ιδιοκτησία μου, έτσι κατέστρεψα το αυτοκίνητό του.” _Persephone, he trespassed on my property, so I’ve destroyed his car._

“Προσπάθησε να σκοτώσει το σκυλί μου, γι 'αυτό θα τον προκαλέσει πολύ πόνο σε αντάλλαγμα.” _He tried to kill my dog, so I will cause him much pain in return._

“Σας βλάπτει, επίσης. Θέλεις να τον τιμωρήσω για εσένα, η βασίλισσα μου?” _He hurt you, as well. Do you wish me to punish him for you, my Queen?_

She chuckled as she took his hand, petals dancing and swirling around their joined palms. “Τόσο επίσημο, ο βασιλιάς μου. Ναι, αλλά θα παρακολουθήσω αυτή τη δικαιοσύνη.”

_So formal, oh my King. Yes, but I will watch this justice._

Darkness, threaded with ice and fire, billowed around them, spiraling out from their entwined hands. He pulled her closer to his body as the front door swung closed behind her with a thud, as the magic enveloped them, taking them from their realm to where her rapist waited in the jaws of the first hellhound….

* * *

_Honestly, she just goes on, and on, and…._

Artemis jumped as her phone began screaming with an incoming call, her punk-rock ringtone blaring loud and piercing sharp in Hestia’s front parlor. The leader of TGOEM glared daggers as Artemis whipped the too-loud plastic box from her pocket, and Athena chuckled into her hand while Demeter started tapping her pointed-toe stiletto on the hardwood with impatient huffs of breath.

“Sorry, I thought I had it… muted….”

**Call from Jerkface**

“It’s my brother, I have to take this!”

She ignored the protests and indignation from Hestia and Demeter as well as Athena’s hooting laugh as she slammed a finger on the button to answer the call.

“Bro?!”

“Artemis, get your ass down here to the mortal realm and help me!”

There was a lot of snarling and baying and scuffling from Apollo’s end of the connection; if she didn’t know better, she’d say her brother was treed up by a hound….

“Hey, ‘Poll, what the heck, man; you know I’m in a meeting, what’s going on that you can’t handle it?!”

“And if the Barley Mother Boss-bitch is there, bring her too, she needs to see what the blue bastard’s done to her little girl, just get down here, _now_!”

He all but shouted over her, and the line went dead. She stared at the senior members of TGOEM, wondering if she needed to relay her brother’s frantic, rather bullying command.

Demeter’s eyes flared white, Hestia’s hair rippled with a sheen of flame, and Athena crashed to her feet, her armor cascading down from her shoulders as her sweater and jeans dissolved in a burst of power.

Athena took Artemis by the hand as fiery sparks and green vines began to whirl around the parlor, swallowing the four of them up in traces of ancient magic and cosmic aether….

* * *

“Hera, look, for the thousandth time, I’ll fire her! I’ll get a new secretary, some guy or something, then you won’t have anything to worry about!”

“Oh, like I don’t know you swing both ways?!? Gods, Zeus, do you really think I’m _that_ stupid?! The problem is not the _gender_ of your secretaries, it’s that you _Don’t. Respect. Me!_ If I’m really not enough for you, _talk to me_ , but don’t go behind my back and just bang whoever you happen to see that day; you could learn a lot from Poseidon and Amphi, they don’t ever have these kinds of arguments because they _respect each other_ and **_talk!_** ”

“Do not lecture me, Hera!”

“I have every right to lecture you, so just sit right there and – ”

“Mommy, um, Aunty Amphi and Uncle Posie are here, they say it’s urrrrr-gent….”

Hera spun around, her mascara smeared down over her cheekbones. _Damn. Poor baby, I’m gonna make sure this is the last time you see Mommy like this, I promise._ “Thank you, sweet girl; we’re on our way. Go on to the library and read with Eily for a while, okay?”

“Okay, Mommy….”

Hebe skipped away down the hall, and Hera wondered if her daughter truly didn’t understand, or was putting on a brave face…. Either way, enough was enough.

“Zeus, we are done doing this shit. Our girls deserve better than to grow up seeing their mother disrespected and treated like this. Would you really want to see them crying like this one day because they ended up with a guy who treats them like you treat me…? We’ll deal with whatever this emergency is, and then you will get your act together or We. Are. Done.”

He sputtered, lightning crashing outside their home, but Poseidon and Amphitrite came barreling into the study at that moment, terrified looks on their faces.

“Bro, seriously, something’s goin’ down in the mortal realm. Hades’ dog, um, the big black one, you know he can just border-hop whenever he likes: he came dragging Apollo by the scruff of his neck not five minutes ago, and now the volc’s are all blowing their tops from here to ‘manjaro, and I swear, I had to smash up three tsunamis before I even left home to come here. Something’s going down, and Big Bro is out for blood….”

The four monarchs stared at each other for two and a half breaths, and then they all turned for the walls, portals opening on command. Poseidon held Amphitrite to his side with a playful smirk as he ducked through his aquamarine entryway, and Hera and Zeus shared a solemn glance before he stepped through his violet-and-white aether-door and she through her goldenrod-gleaming one.

_Please, don’t let this be what I think it means…._

_Gods, if Apollo **was** the one to hurt Persephone…._

_Cosmos help him, because none of us will be able to…._

* * *

Artemis blinked in the blinding sunlight of a mortal realm mid-day; she, Athena, Demeter, and Hestia were all standing on a flat prairie, a single tree spearing the sky in gnarly lines a few hundred feet to the north. A large dark shape shuffled and shifted in the sparse canopy, and another form of blackness, lean and powerful to her eyes even over the distance, prowled around the base of the tree, eyes shining icy in the dancing shadows every time it turned on an angle to pace the other way.

_Holy hells, what did you **do** to get Hades’ dog up your ass, bro?!_

She started to rush toward the tree, her t-shirt and jeans beginning to shift as her armor glinted to life in the sunlight, but Athena snagged her by the wrist and hauled her backwards.

“Athena, what the –”

“If you have any sense of self-preservation, you will wait for the hound’s master to call him off.” Athena’s voice echoed over the plain, hollow and deep, infused with power as a light breeze lifted her crimson sash and played through the horsehair fringe on her helm. “You risk a true death by tangling with the Hound of Hell; we immortals are not immune to his fangs….”

Athena released her, and the four of them stood there, waiting, watching as the dog kept her brother in the tree by sheer, animal power and fear….

Far in the distance, leagues away, an explosion split the air with dull thunder. Artemis turned with the others, seeing the black cloud rising from the broken mountaintop, the red glow threading the smoke as the earth vibrated beneath their feet.

_Okay, seriously, ‘Poll, you’ve got Hades blowing stacks; what the **hells** happened?!_

She felt her knees buckle as the soil _rippled_ in a wave suddenly, and to the east from her position, a fountain of dust and steam reached from an expanding gouge in the earth’s skin, straining for the sky like an inverted waterfall of soil and vapor. Two shadows appeared in the haze and mist, moving toward the tree to the north where her brother hunkered at bay in the branches.

Hades himself drew the eye like a magnetized meteorite draws steel: the power pouring off of him blasted her and her fellow goddesses even from the distance of nearly a half-league, heat of the bowels of the earth and cold of winter’s gruesome touch pounding in waves over her skin and armor so she felt entirely off-balance under the onslaught. His skin drank the light as if the darkness covering him was a physical thing, siphoning the life from the realm around him and turning it into energy and power incomprehensible.

Artemis had prided herself on her ability to fight and hunt with even the bravest of men.

She paled now at the certain sense that she was inadequate and a mere child compared to this ancient, primal force that had risen from the depths of the earth to enact some terrible retribution upon her brother for an unknown slight….

She was afraid….

And then she was terrified, because she finally noticed the being beside the half-clothed God of the Dead Lands:

It could only be Persephone, but this version of her friend was as alien as the god she walked beside:

Petals rained down around the two hunting deities, turning to sparks of flame and wisps of ash as they came within the range of Hades’ hungry power. Persephone’s skin shone bloody in the sunlight, stark and terrible against the black of the King’s skin beyond her own. Her hair lifted and danced around and through the life-bright branches sprung from her back like wings, and red vines with thorns that glinted like steel wove through the mass and down her bare arms, ichor beading up where her movements pricked them into her skin.

Their clothing remained as it was, refusing to shift to traditional mortal garb as Artemis’ and the others’ own had already done, but the image was all the more vicious for the implication:

They spared no power to change their attire, because everything they were was focused on whatever they were plotting with regards to her brother.

She hadn’t cried in years, not since their mother died….

She wept now to think that she might have to watch her brother die, and she didn’t even know what had happened….

She wept, and Athena pulled her closer, holding her as the fear and strain tore the Huntress to pieces within her soul….

* * *

Demeter stared at her daughter’s altered form, and her heart shriveled in her chest.

_No…._

_It can’t be…._

_I did everything I could, and still, **still** she becomes this…?!_

_I can’t let him take her from me! She doesn’t belong in that disgusting place; she’s meant to be above, here, in the light!_

_She **can’t** belong to him!_

“Aidoneus, Kthonic Lord, stop this very moment and explain yourself!”

She stepped in front of her companions as the primal King turned to face her, one jet-dark hand drifting in front of her daughter’s body, holding her back and staking a claim the Earth Mother had tried so hard to quash before it could blossom.

_You will not take her from the light I crafted her to live within…._

His voice rolled through the earth, the air, her very bones, and she trembled as she heard the Tyrant’s intonations in this god’s words….

“Ο εγκληματίας παραβιάστηκε στη γη μου. Ο εγκληματίας βλάψει το σκυλί μου. Αυτος επισης….”

_The bastard trespassed on my land. The bastard hurt my dog. He also…._

The Titan-seeming god turned to her daughter, his face as blank as his voice was hollow. Her daughter’s eyes locked with her own, and the bloody red that smeared them over in terror and pain tore her heart to shreds.

“Με βίασε.”

_He raped me._

Demeter staggered backward, and Hestia caught her before she could fall.

But oh, how she wanted to fall, to curl upon the soil and weep for her daughter’s fate.

The vision danced through her mind, taunting her, haunting her, from nearly twenty years before….

_Her little kore, bright under the sun, until a shadow threw her into darkness beneath the earth, nevermore to emerge as the life-queen of Spring itself…._

_…._

_I didn’t see…._

_I couldn’t tell…._

_The shadow was made of golden light…._

* * *

Persephone watched her mother’s collapse with a sense of satisfaction mingled with sorrow.

_Let them all know…._

_Let them all see, feel, understand…._

_And let them all watch as I take back my control from the ones who would see me weak and broken to their wills…._

She and her King turned back to the tree; three ripples of power stroked the air from their right, and Zeus, Hera, Poseidon and Amphitrite all emerged into the noontime light, staring between the scattered tableaus before them.

She took in a breath, moved in front of Hades, and spoke into the rising wing that sparked with crackles of static and infant lightning.

“Απόλλωνας με βίασε. Τώρα διεκδικώ τη δικαιοσύνη μου.” _Apollo raped me. I now claim my justice._

Zeus stepped toward her and Hades, the distance still thick between them as the King of Olympus raised his hands in supplication, palms facing the sky from in front of his waist.

“Surely there’s some other solution that is not so violent, Kore; after all, he is an Olympian, and deserves –”

Hades growled, the sound loud above her head, but her voice rang out over his rage, giving words to their joint intent and purpose in defiance of the one who would try to diminish her choice.

“Αξίζει όλα όσα θα κάνει ο βασιλιάς μου για τον πόνο που με προκάλεσε!”

_He deserves everything my King will do for the pain he caused me!_

With that permission, she turned, smiling hungrily as her King shot through the air for the tree where her rapist cowered among the leaves. Cerberus withdrew, backing away from the tree as his master flew overhead, ripped the purple coward from the branches, and crashed to the ground beyond the tree with one hand over the bastard’s throat; the Hound of Hell made his way back to her side, and she ruffled his ears with her left hand as he sat beside her.

They watched as the King of the Underworld beat Apollo senseless on the soil of the mortal realm….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is NOT completed; obviously, there is the aftermath of the beat-down still to cover when Hades and Persephone return to the Underworld in triumph.
> 
> And yes, Hades is gon' get pegged....
> 
> It will be a very emotion-packed chapter for the next installment, dears. Hades has his issues with looking and acting like Kronos to process, and Persephone has her attraction to that side of him to analyze. 
> 
> But, because love has no rules except respect, compassion, and caring:
> 
> Things are gonna end with a delishous happy....
> 
> And we'll mark another curiosity off of Persephone's checklist with that damned magenta strap-on, hells yeah we will!
> 
> I work all weekend, so it may be a few days before I can finish that installment. 
> 
> That should give everyone time to recover from this. I know it was intense. Please be blunt and let me know if something NEEDS to change for the mental well-being of the community....
> 
> I am autistic. What you might consider rude, I consider honest. Be blunt, be honest, and I will understand you better....
> 
> I've been trying to thread some of that in this work with how Hades and Persephone just straight-up talk shit out. Y'all feel free to do the same with me!
> 
> As always, I thank you endlessly for the love you've shown for this work and any others I have here on Ao3. I know this one is tough, but I hope I gave you all the trellis you needed to stand strong under this onslaught....
> 
> With love and thanks and gentle smiles, I leave you to your reading....
> 
> -Swoonie (and all the players in my headspace: Titans, gods, goddesses, doggos, and the rest)


	8. Trellis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Within are themes and instances of:
> 
> Self-hatred and fear of losing control (Hades went dark-dark-dark, remember?)  
> Uncertainty about attraction to "darkness"  
> Blood-lust (actual lust arising after or tied to doling out physical violence)  
> Dom/Sub  
> Exploratory foreplay (Persephone tries some things out before....)  
> Pegging (hells to the yes!)  
> Intense smexing (they're gods, they can take it)  
> Healthy talk about how to smex, types of self-play, fulfilled and unfulfilled expectations  
> Rape-culture dynamics and issues of misogyny
> 
> The finale you've all been waiting for - and I'm sorry, not that it took so long, but that this chapter is almost 9k words.... 
> 
> But at least it's done!
> 
> (or is it...?)
> 
> Edited on 3-27-2020 - If you chose to skip Chapter 7 - here are the necessary highlights:  
> Artemis was worried about Persephone's continued absence/silence. Apollo encouraged those insecurities until Arti asked him to go to the Underworld to check on Perse and make sure she's okay. Arti went to a meeting with TGOEM.  
> Hades is having another bad migraine. Perse is taking care of him at home, and right before she leaves him to rest, he telepathically touches her mind, both of them unnerved a little but promising to discuss it later. Additionally, Perse and Hades had discussed she pegging him, and last night they ordered a strap-on setup. It should be arriving this afternoon. Perse falls asleep holding Pommie on the couch, and wakes to a knock on the door and Cerberus growling.  
> Apollo threatens Perse with the pictures, claiming everyone will think she's making the rounds of the royals cause she's "shacking up" with Hades anyway, 'cause the bits of Apollo in the pics are purple like Zeus, too.  
> Perse almost manages to stand her ground, asking Cerberus to stand down, but she does reach for Hades in her mind, before Apollo loses his shit and tries to hurt Pommie.  
> Hades is right there, blasts Apollo to get him off Perse, asks Cerberus to take Apollo above, checks on Perse and Pommie, and then melts Apollo's car down to slag on his front drive by turning the asphalt to lava. He asks Perse - in ancient Greek - if she wants Hades to hurt Apollo for her too, since he's already gonna whale on the bastard for trespassing and Pommie.  
> The Queen says yes, and he takes them above.  
> Apollo's pinned in a tree by Cerberus. He calls Arti, and TGOEM arrives on the scene, but hangs back, not wanting to get between Cerberus and his prey. Arti's upset when Hades and Persephone arrive; she knows there's nothing she can do to save her brother, she has no power to match the King and Queen.  
> Demeter realizes she could never have stopped Perse from becoming this - her visions from Perse's birth weren't about the dark shadow of the Underworld claiming her, but about a shadow made of golden light pushing her to the Underworld. Demeter collapses from the emotional trauma.  
> Zeus, Hera, Posie and Amphi also arrive; Hera had been laying down the law to Zeus about him keeping it in his pants and respecting her as his Queen and wife when Posie and Amphi arrived with the news about Cerberus realm-hopping with Apollo and volcanoes blowing stacks and earthquakes throwing up tsunamis.  
> Zeus tries to talk Perse down, "Apollo's an Olympian, he deserves-"  
> Perse cuts him off, saying "He deserves everything my King will do to him for the pain he caused me!" (Also in ancient Greek)  
> And Hades rips Apollo from the tree and proceeds to whale on his ass.  
> Persephone watches, Cerberus at her side.
> 
> That's it, minus all the deets. That sets you up for everything in this chapter.

Hera’s portal closed behind her, and she stared at the cooling mound of slag that had to have been a vehicle at one point based on its positioning on the driveway. Trickles of burnt-plum paint and too-bright chrome threaded across the pavement away from the epicenter of the meltdown, rivulets and streams all that was left of color and shine after a storm of fire and hate.

She darted around the destruction and reached for Persephone’s hand.

“Child, wait, please!”

Spring’s Dread turned to face her, vine-woven hair whipping behind her and over her heaving chest as her eyes flared crimson with the shock of being approached too violently.

_Careful, Hera, this one is young, she needs you to maintain some control so she can reclaim her own…._

“Persephone, I’m sorry, I won’t touch you, but I need to speak with you before you go inside. Please, wait a few moments?”

Those wings of laurel and hemlock had burst apart into splinters and petals even before Hera called up her portal and allowed Hades and Persephone to pass through, away from the scene of Persephone’s justice. Cerberus had remained behind to ensure… she wasn’t sure what, but she _was_ sure the dog would return to the magenta goddess’ side soon if he wasn’t waiting within the mansion already. Hera watched Persephone shrug her shoulders; the Queen of Olympus thought she knew what the girl… the woman must be feeling: her own eldest grandson had struggled with the tingles and itchiness for weeks when he was learning to summon and relieve himself of his wings.

“I’m feeling a little strung-out, Hera; forgive me, but I really don’t want to talk to anyone but Hades. I said all I wished to say above….”

Persephone glared at Hera, the wrath and ire only just beginning from her eyes, and Hera took a deep breath.

“I understand that, but I still have questions I must ask. As the Queen of Olympus, I request that you at least consider answering and speaking with me briefly.”

Persephone’s face shifted to a careful blankness; Hera recognized the expression, knew it far too well.

_My own face when Zeus is ignoring my requests, fuck it all._

“Proceed, Queen of Olympus.”

_Damn. Okay, think fast, Hera, which questions need answers now, which ones can wait for everyone to cool the hell down…?_

“I gather that you have been living here in the Underworld for nearly two weeks. Am I correct that you chose this course of action due to what Apollo did to you?”

“Yes, after what he _continued_ to do to me. He was stalking me, refusing to leave me alone after I demanded that of him. He defied me, so I took another choice that was ever my own.”

“…. I understand. As the Queen of Olympus, I will personally ensure that Apollo is banned from any further interaction with you, in any realm or capacity. You will never have to –”

“Hera, I don’t believe you’re hearing me. I made _that_ choice, and I’m making _this_ one. I am staying here, and I have my justice from the bastard that raped me. I require nothing more from you, as my mother’s friend or as the Queen of Olympus. I am my _own_ _person_ , and I have put paid to this entire situation. That is all.”

_Fires in Tartarus, she sounds like Hades…._

“…. Then I must ask what your intentions are now, moving forward? You are taking sabbatical from University, I am aware of that; you are still employed in your role as an intern here; you are still, technically, a junior member and near-initiate of TGOEM…. What will you do now, Persephone?”

“I will remain here, in the Underworld, while I process everything that has happened to me. I will be resigning from TGOEM, as I no longer qualify for the most essential component, intact maidenhood. Additionally, it strikes me as rather assumptive of the _senior_ members of that organization that they would be attempting to enlist a fertility goddess to their ranks. It is my understanding that to do so would be, essentially, limiting my power evermore, making me less than I am meant to be…. And all without ever me ever being aware of it, except that all of _this_ happened and I found out on my own….”

Hera stared at the younger goddess, and as if a lens had slipped over her eyes, a vision superimposed itself on Persephone’s image in Hera’s sight.

_Elegant lines, a striking woman’s face, haughty and proud and determined to be heard, where a girl’s visage once looked out on the world with wonder._

_Black diamonds around her neck and hanging from her ears, a scepter of power rising to one side in front of a bared shoulder._

_A crown spearing a dark and roiling sky, dark-glinting lines of violence tempered with grace, and petals showering down in all the shades of life itself…._

Hera could not doubt her visions; even when her own husband tried to convince her that the deity in her prior vision of Persephone could not have been Apollo, she had _known_ the truth in her bones.

_She’s the Queen of the Underworld, with or without Hades, in her own right and power…._

Hera struggled to return from the depths of her mind, to pay attention as the Queen of the Underworld continued to claim her independence from the ones who would have broken her to ineptitude….

“So, as far as I’m concerned, my dealings with TGOEM are moot now. I intend to pay back the scholarship, one way or the other, but once that is done, I have nothing more to do with them. My body, my choices, should always have been my own, and they tried to keep me from ever knowing myself in the ways I was made to be….”

“…. I understand. I will…. Would it help you if I issued a temporary edict barring the organization from contacting you while you recover?”

Persephone smiled, and the Dread faded beneath the shining image of the girl Hera had watched grow to power in the realms above. “Thank you for making it my choice, Hera. Yes, I do think that would be helpful. Right now, I need time to myself, and I don’t want to constantly be bombarded with thinking about what is best for them when I need to find out what is best for me.”

“I understand, and thank you for allowing me to help. Is there anything else you require of me, as a fellow goddess, or as the Queen of Olympus?”

The magenta goddess cupped one hand around her cheek, her tongue peeking from the corner of her mouth as she hunched her shoulders, deep in thought for a brief moment. “Actually, yes…. Apollo ejaculated inside me, and I was worried that I might be pregnant. I went to a clinic to get a test, and they were rather… abrasive in the way they treated me. It was like they thought I was some irresponsible slut, and they didn’t even bother to ask me if the encounter had been consensual. If they had, I might have been able to handle things differently, get more support and this whole thing might not have happened as it did, but we’ll never know, because they basically just told me to buy condoms and make better choices with my life.”

Hera felt her jaw drop open before cold fire began rolling along her arms; her hands curled into fists, and she snapped her teeth together, grinding her jaw to bind her wrath before everything got too far out of hand.

“…. I can _assure_ you, I will be looking into that. Can you tell me which clinic it was?”

“I’ll send you an email with the details.”

“Thank you, Persephone….”

Hera spun on her heel, her portal blasting to golden-gleaming life in the middle of the driveway. She stormed through it, emerging in her office to see Hebe and Eileithyia sprawled over the floor, doodling and coloring what looked like some crudely-composed sketches of pegasi.

“ _Mommy!_ ”

Her wrath melted away as her girls came darting over to her, papers and colored pencils scattering behind them. She knelt, pulling them close, and told them how much she loved them in every way she could think of while the cunning strategist she had been in the wars worked marvels of plots in the back of her mind.

_My girls will never feel **less** when they enter this society as women._

_This shit ends now…._

_The Queen of the Gods is gonna make some fucking changes around here…._

_These misogynist, rapist, womanizing pigs are gonna bow, and bow low…._

* * *

His vision was still blurry, too much for comfort, and he swallowed around the lump in his throat as the little thing squirmed in his grip, on his lap. He couldn’t quite see her, just her colors, khaki, cream, blonde and starlight. Her tongue was warm and wet on his hand, and it was almost as if he could hear her voice, small and mousy but determined to make him listen.

_[[[Poppa, lemme go, I’m fine, wanna go play with Fudge, and Russell, lemme down down down, please please please…!]]]_

_…. Not just yet, darling, wait for our Queen, just a few moments longer…._

“Hades…? Everything okay here?”

Pomelia yipped, indignant at being held captive, and he felt Persephone settle to the couch beside him.

“Please….”

“…. Hades, what do you need?”

_Check her over, make sure she’s okay, please make sure she’s okay, please…._

“…. Okay, come here, little darling, let me look at you for Daddy….”

He stayed where he was, his hands open and empty now, palms up in his lap, and he waited for the official word about his newest dog’s health after….

_Don’t, just let it fade, let it go, it’s done, over, done…._

“Hades, she’s perfectly fine. No marks, nothing. She’s fine, I’m going to put her down now.” He felt the goddess lean forward, heard the skittering of excited claws as the pack streaked out of the den. “Now, Hades, please talk to – ”

He was already halfway to the door into the hall, memory guiding his steps as his vision was still not functioning properly, but how could he just leave her, she needed answers, needed to know he was okay….

_But I’m not…._

“I’m…. I’m sorry, Persephone…. I’m sorry you had to…. I n-n-n-never wanted you t-t-to see m-me like that….”

He ran, the hallways blurred, nothing but shadows, until he could finally duck into his room, the door crashing to the wall behind his back as his knees gave out; the ironwood was cold on the bare skin of his shoulder-blades, but not nearly so cold as the claws around his heart, shredding him to pieces as the words he could never leave behind found him once again….

And this time, there’d be nothing left, because she’d seen, felt, been there when he….

**_You’ll be just like me, Aidoneus; you can’t escape that, boy…._ **

**_That power is yours alone, my prince…._ **

_I never wanted it…._

_Never wanted her to see…._

_…._

_She was supposed to be able to trust me, lean on me…._

_How can she now, knowing what I truly am…?_

_What I’m capable of…?_

_…._

_She was never supposed to be afraid of me…._

**_They’ll always fear you, boy; you’re too much like me, always, ever and on…._ **

_I never asked for this…._

**_It’s a gift, and a curse, and it’s yours, my prince…._ **

_It hurts…._

“Hades…?”

He buried his face in his arms and tried to ignore the tugging around his heart.

How could there be tugging, when the claws of his father’s words had shredded everything inside of him to a shattered mess and ragged leavings for the vultures of loneliness, of being alone forever…?

Tapping on the cold ironwood behind him, and then a sliding scrape.

“Hades, I know you’re probably upset…. Listen, um, there’s some things I want to say to you, some things I need to say, and I’d like to see you while I say them…. But if you need a little distance, can the door be enough? Can I talk to you, right now? I don’t think it’s good to wait for this….”

_Are you not afraid? How can you not be afraid, even Hecate fears me when I go dark and cold and hot like that!_

_Persephone, are you listening?_

_Please be –_

“Yes, Hades, I heard you, kind of…. It’s a little dim, like you’re a long way down a tunnel, but I heard you. No, I am not afraid. Please, open the door? Let me see you…?”

_Not fit to be seen, not good enough for you, not good –_

“Okay, stop that. Right now. Do you hear me?”

_…. Yes…._

“You are putting words in my mouth. Taking away my choice. I will decide if you are good enough for me. It is your choice whether you open the door, or whether I say what I came to say through it. But one way or the other, I’m going to say what you didn’t give me a chance to say before you ran out of the room!”

_[[[Answer your Queen, my Aidoneus….]]]_

He got to his feet, everything motion feeling slow, tarry-trapped and aching hollow; he turned the knob and stumbled to the bed. She was there beside him as he sank to the edge of the mattress, his hands limp on the duvet.

“Hades, thank you for letting me in. Please look at me…?” He did, squinting through the blurry haze. “Are you okay? Can you see? What’s going on?”

The tears stung, burning his eyes, but he couldn’t stop them now, not now, not when he couldn’t even see her face.

“It’s always like this, a-a-after…. Everything is blurry, n-n-n-nothing clear, n-n-no-no-nothing except the t-t-target, the one who needs to d-d-d-d-….”

She pulled his head to her shoulder, held him as he broke down, fell apart, tried to claw his way past the fear, the hurt, the hate….

Even if she left him after, he’d remember how she held him now, how she smelled like asphodel and roses and pomelias all combined, how she stroked his hair and rocked them back and forth on the edge of his bed, the bed he’d shared with her in mutual need and comfort for one single, blissful week….

He’d hold onto this, even if she let him go….

* * *

Persephone wasn’t quite sure what exactly was going on with her King, but she was dreadfully certain that she would help him however she could. The self-hatred and fear of losing her had been palpable in those terrifyingly distant touches from his mind to hers, and she couldn’t help but worry when he had said his vision was blurry, had been, since he finished tearing Apollo up at her permission, her command, her edict and desire….

She couldn’t help but worry that she had felt inordinately aroused, more even than when he’d told her his “dirty shower thoughts” a week ago, more than when she helped him masturbate with his toy….

She could still feel those tingles, the little flaring spikes of pleasure zinging through her abdomen as she thought back to how he’d looked – all black and blue and red, a galaxy of winter and flame; the way his power had felt, brushing against hers as they came up through the earth and made their way to rip their justice from Apollo’s very flesh; even his scent, his smell, had changed, gotten deeper and darker and full of hints of shadows and ice, and that too had made her _want_ , want like she’d never thought she could….

And then he ran from her, hating himself and fearing that she would run from him in turn….

_Not today, my King, and not ever, if I have even half the strength I feel burning in my veins right now…._

“Hades, please listen to me…. I am not going anywhere…. I know you think I should be afraid of how you looked earlier, all that power and wrath; but, um, I think Queen-me really rather liked King-you….”

He sniffled, pulling back from her shoulder enough to look at her, nearly nose-to-nose. The rings of color in his eyes were shifting, melting back and forth from red to black to blue to ice to wine: he squinted, and she held her face as still as possible to keep from disturbing his vision further.

“Queen-you…? You… y-you felt her?”

“Uh-huh, pretty sure, it certainly didn’t feel like me, and then when Hera was trying to talk to me – ” His eyes flared a fiery crimson at that, and the cold-and-heat of his still-unstable power thrashed the room around them. “ – nothing bad, Hades, I promise; Hera just wanted to make sure I was okay, and see what I was doing next….”

“I’m sorry, I’m…. I’ve never t-t-talked to anyone this s-soon after… um, an episode like th-th-this…. I feel really out of con-control, and I….”

“…. You’re afraid you’ll hurt me…?”

She watched the pain rip over his face, thought over everything she knew about the Titans, Hades’ past, his power, how different it felt from the wrath she knew her mother and the other gods could unleash upon the realms….

_He’s made of something different, and he’s never really dealt with it…._

“I…. I swore I’d never hurt you, p-p-please don’t…. You need to go, I’m not…. You can’t be around me n-n-now….”

“Hades, I’m not leaving, but I will give you space…. I love you, and I’m worried about you. I know it’s probably too raw right now, but soon, as soon as we can, we need to talk about all of this. For now, do you believe me that I’m not afraid of you, that I love you still, that I think I need the whole Hades package and not just the so-called ‘safe’ parts of you?”

He smiled, and she could see the struggle in his half-blinded eyes – if he didn’t believe her, it would be tantamount to calling everything they’d shared a lie; if he believed her, it would mean that his entire self-image, the things he hated about himself, were not as awful as he’d thought for gods-only knew how long….

_Choose wisely, my King; choose the trellis of my love…._

_Grow strong with me…._

“I…. I’ve never met anyone like you, goddess…. No one _likes_ that darkness; no one needs it….”

“I do. I swear on Styx herself…. I can’t deny the truth of my heart, Hades….”

His eyes drifted closed, and that rumbling not-quite-growl rolled through the bedroom.

“Then I cannot disavow your love for me; even if it destroys us both, I’ll believe you….”

“Good grief, Hades, it won’t destroy us both….”

“We’ll see….”

“Okay, stop moping, please. Look, I haven’t even asked, how is your headache?”

He scrubbed the back of his neck with a hand that trembled only slightly; the motion accentuated his pectorals as he leaned back from her to do so, and she hastily swiped away the drool that threatened to expose her too-sudden fascination. “Um, oddly enough, gone entirely without a trace, the moment you called to me from the hall….”

“Odd indeed, but, well, maybe that’s for the best….”

“You know, come to think of it, I usually don’t have near as many migraines after I go all dark like that…. But I mean, it has been a while….”

“No, not so long, I mean, I saw you at the… hos… pital…. Ummmmm….”

He stared at her, blinking fitfully to try to clear his vision. “You…. Um, you weren’t supposed to look….”

“Yeah, well, sue me, Your Majesty, I was curious…!”

“ _Hrng…._ ”

She giggled as he swallowed heavily, half-panting as he fought through the arousal.

“Sorry, Hades, I’ll tone it down…. You sure you’re okay, then?”

“Well, not okay, but…. I’ll try to deal all of this in a, um, healthier way than I usually do, for you, goddess….”

“Oh, pray tell what’s the usual way?”

“Two bottles of scotch until I pass out, three days off work, Hecate making appointments with my therapist and driving me to them so I can’t run away…. Not the best mechanisms for coping with Titanic power, but….”

“Okay, well, yeah, no, that’s not happening this time…. Sounds to me like you do need a distraction though…. You remember what’s arriving this afternoon?”

He gulped, she giggled, and he dragged the hand that had been clutching the back of his neck down over his face.

“Yes, I remember, and yes, I want it, gods I want it! But I also want to see you, and I can’t really…. This stupid blurriness will take a few more hours still yet to fade, fuck it all….”

“Well, I mean, it’s still just barely afternoon, we’ve got time…. What do you need in the meantime, then…?”

His first fingertip tapped his chin, eyes closed again; she figured it was probably easier than the frustration of having them open and struggling to make anything out through the blur. “Honestly, Persephone, I…. I promise I won’t mope, but could I have these few hours alone? I…. I need to think, I need to just deal with this, I’m…. But I don’t know what you need, either….”

She gave it some thought, mimicking his posture and gestures even if he couldn’t see it; she liked how it made her feel more ancient, more _wise_. “You know, maybe some separate time would be good. You promise we’ll talk later, even if _later_ is tomorrow or something?”

“Yes. I promise….”

“Okay. I’ll go into the living room then, and I’ll let you know when the package arrives?”

He mumbled something, or maybe grunted, already moving to the bathroom from the edge of the bed. He stumbled around the door, closing it gently behind himself, and she had almost left the room herself when she heard the porcelain lid of the toilet clank upward.

She pretended she didn’t hear the sound of her King dry-heaving beyond the black wood of the door….

_We’ll talk, when he’s ready…._

* * *

It had been a few hours; his phone told him it was closing in on four in the afternoon; the package should have arrived by now….

Cerberus had returned at a quarter ‘til three, materializing in Hades’ room in front of the window-wall, a souvenir of leather jacket dripping drool and ichor in his clutches. Hades had smiled at his dog’s toothy smile and wagging tail, and then dry-heaved over the side of the bed again. His dog had portalled through the bedroom door, and he’d heard Persephone’s shadowy chuckle as his hell-hound showed off his prize.

Every reminder, every errant thought, always spiraled back to the single, implacable, terrible truth of his power:

He had enjoyed beating the bastard nearly to a golden-dripping pulp….

King-him always enjoyed it, even though _he_ hated it….

And that conflict within his own self had never been more tormenting, more haunting, because now….

Now, it would seem that his Queen, the goddess destined to rule the Underworld at his side, _liked_ seeing him that way, had all but said she would have fucked him _like that…._

And the King he was in his soul wanted to take her up on her offer….

_No. She is **not** strong enough for that, no matter what the Queen she is wants, it’s too soon, it may always be too soon…._

He stared at his feet, soles-together on the bed, his knees aching where he sat lotus-spread on top of the sheets. His elbows ground into his thighs, and he tried to ignore the sweat that prickled his skin as he hunched there, naked in his room.

_Still too much, it’s not faded enough…._

_Gods, I’ve never wanted another being more…._

_We said it would be safer for her to peg me, she’d be entirely in control, but like this?!_

_I have no fucking idea if King-me will even submit like that…._

_Damned blood-lust, just…._

_Why does everything have to be so fuckin’ difficult!?_

His phone pinged, and he picked it up from the mattress between his bent legs. His vision was all but back to normal, and he couldn’t help but smile at the picture he’d chosen for Persephone’s contact icon: a brand-new one from the week before, her and Pomelia brushing noses in a silly kiss.

**_It arrived a little while ago;_ **

**_I was trying to put it on,_ **

**_but I can’t quite figure out_ **

**_which holes go where on this harness!_ **

**_Are you okay, or should I just… wait…?_ **

His cock twitched at the mental image of his little goddess bent over, facing away from him, her ass poetry in curves as she bounced, trying to keep from falling over with her legs tangled in the leather straps.

_Gods, I don’t know what to do…._

_…._

_Honesty, it’s the only thing I can do._

**_Text draft to Persephone:_ **

**_Sweetness, I won’t lie to you._ **

**_I really want this, but I’m scared._ **

**_Bloodlust is a real issue for me._ **

**_Literal lust, fueled from shedding blood._ **

**_I’m afraid I’ll hurt you,_ **

**_that I won’t be able to submit to you for this._ **

**_Part of me wants to wait,_ **

**_until I’m sure I won’t be able to hurt you;_ **

**_the other part demands you take me,_ **

**_bend me to your will…._ **

**_…. Can I trust you to be strong enough_ **

**_to run if I lose control?_ **

****

**_Message sent_ **

He dropped the phone to his mattress again, burying his face in his hands.

_Please understand…._

_Please love me still…._

She tapped on his door, and he nearly exploded out of his skin. As it was, he heard the mirror in the bathroom crack with his surge of fear.

“Hades, I’m strong enough for that. And I _know_ you’re strong enough to remember you love me, even if it seems like you’ll lose yourself in this…. I’m ready for this, I want to do this…. Can I come in?”

He stifled a sob, but the tears shredded his voice anyway.

“Yes, please, come in….”

The door opened, and he felt himself, both of his selfs, give up control to the Queen he saw hunting him from within the depths of her eyes.

* * *

He was sitting naked in the middle of his bed, a desperate look on his face and something deep and hungry in his eyes. She angled herself to close the door behind her, letting him see she carried the magenta dildo and black leather harness in her left hand, a rather-tangled mess of straps now that she’d flubbed that all up.

And so what if she’d gotten a little carried away with touching the dildo even before Hades got to see it; her curiosity had been piqued by the stylized veins and wrinkles texturing the plastic-y surface, and she’d wondered if he’d even be able to feel all of those details….

She wondered if she’d be able to, if she ever got brave enough to try this thing inside her own body….

_But for now…._

She got the door closed and turned back to face him, slowly and carefully. She thought that her Queen-self was mostly locked away again, freeing her to focus a little more closely on what Hades had texted her.

_He does feel a little strange; there’s something here, a couple somethings, needs that aren’t quite in sync but maybe almost there?_

And then her eyes were caught by the silver-shining _thing_ beside his right hip.

“Hades, what’s that?”

He pulled the thing around in front of himself, holding it in cupped palms over his groin. She felt her attention nearly snagged by the twitching eagerness of his cock, but that would be for later, if at all: both he and her book had been very clear that the best anal orgasms for a male didn’t even need stimulation to the penis.

“It’s a bit of a plug…. I thought, maybe, if you’d like, you could explore a little with this first, see how things work before you got on top of me.” His voice trailed off on a moan, and his eyes drifted shut as he let his chin fall to his chest, breathing heavily through his nose.

The bright chrome was unblemished by any scuffs or scratches; it had a smoothly tapered head, about four inches in length, and would maybe have been just wide enough at the middle to keep the fingers of one of her hands from touching entirely. On the back of the head, a slender shaft, barely a drachma’s diameter, extended another five or so inches, and butted up against a flat disc of a pommel. She thought she understood why he’d chosen this particular toy; he’d hinted in the past week that he had a number of such items hidden away….

This particular toy would keep her skin clear of his if she chose not to touch him directly, but would give her enough maneuverability to really explore his ass and pleasure as much as possible at distance.

“Thank you, Hades, that does sound like fun. But I have to wonder….” She paced closer to the bed, drawing his attention back to her approach as she spoke in a quiet, low-toned voice. “I have to ask, have you already prepared your ass for me?”

He shrugged, the plug rocking a little in his cupped hands. “I…. I can’t actually reach, Persephone. Old injury in my shoulder, and my other hand just isn’t as nimble or dexterous. But that’s why this is the one for this; it’s narrow enough, it won’t hurt for it to be the prep today…. No fingering required….”

He smirked, but his words seemed carefully bound behind tight-leashed control. She performed a quick evaluation on her own emotions, wanting to be sure before he could reconsider, think they should stop….

_I still want this; gods, I want this…._

“Okay, then; leave the plug where I can reach it, move your phone out of the way, and spread ‘em…!”

He gasped, moving quickly to obey; his thighs strained as he flipped his body over, flinging his phone toward the head of the bed with a careless flick of his wrist and dropping the plug beside his left knee. He spread his knees, his toes bent against the mattress, and there he was, crouched before her, the darker indigo patch of his anal opening drawing her attention, even away from his dangling shaft and balls below….

She dropped the harness and dildo to the bed, and he shivered slightly, a whole-body tremor that seemed to start from his knees and only ended when he shook his head slightly, his neck relaxing so he was staring straight down at the mattress below. The lube that had come with the strap-on she kept in hand, snagging the chrome-bright plug with careful fingers. It was warm from sitting beside him and being held in his hands in offering, and she was glad; she remembered the book said something about warmed up toys most often being preferable, unless sensory play was the order of the moment.

She rubbed the trickling streams of lube over the entire pointed end of the toy and over the swollen middle; she cocked her head then, staring at the small droplet of clear liquid that was beaded at the tip of Hades’ dick.

“Um, Hades, do we have a towel in here? You’re leaking there, and my hand is all slick now….”

“Oh, um, no, I’ll go – ”

“No, stay right there….”

“…. Like what you see, little goddess…?”

“I rather do; wanna see it when I come back from the bathroom….”

He moaned as she clambered back off the bed and dashed into the adjoining room; one quickly opened cabinet door later saw her prowling her way back into Hades’ bedroom, smiling brightly at his eager, hungry face, his eyes watching her every move as she stalked back toward him.

“That…. Mmmm, Hades, that is a gorgeous sight….”

He groaned, long and drawn-out, before she spread the towel beneath his cock, being careful not to touch his knees as she maneuvered the cloth into place. She kept the plug elevated in her other hand, not wanting to lose the coating of lubricant; finally satisfied that she’d done all she could to protect the bed, she stared at Hades’ ass again.

_Maybe I could…._

Her left hand drifted toward his ass-cheek, hovering for a hesitant heartbeat before she finally pushed her palm and the pads of her fingers against his sweat-dampened skin. He gasped, a startled and desperate sound, and his head whipped around; she thought she even heard his neck crack a little.

“Goddess, you didn’t have… to….” He panted as she waited for him to finish; surely he knew by now that she _knew_ that. “You didn’t have to, but gods, I’m so very glad you trust me that much….” His head turned back to face the headboard and he swallowed once. “Thank you, goddess….”

_A prayer…. A plea…._

“Hades, I do trust you, with all of me that I can spare right now. And this isn’t much different from touching your arm or your shoulder, I don’t think….”

He chuckled, his voice a little thick and heavy sounding. “Analyzing again, huh, curious Persephone?”

“Always, you big blue dork.” Before he could protest further, she squeezed his ass and then pressed the tip of the plug against the indigo patch of wrinkled skin. He threw his head back, arching his neck and spine, and grunted. “Oops! Sorry, too hard? Whaddid I do?!”

“Uh, hem, uh, just, hmmm, surprised me again…. I…. Gods, I need this, I don’t know if I can make sense to explain, um, fuck, please….” His voice was tight, strained, his words tumbling from him as his head drifted back forward, his shoulders bunching high behind his neck. “Just, um, push, kinda twist it a little, and I’ll do the rest….”

“Okay, um….” She did what he asked, and he groaned low in his throat once more; she watched, and felt it in her left hand on his ass cheek, as he seemed to _push_ , the ring of muscle stretching open and beginning to engulf the tip of the plug. She pushed a little more, and he leaned back toward her, and then with a gasping cry, he collapsed forward, his hands smashed under his chest and his head turned to the right so all she could see at first was the mussed silver hair; his knees were still bent, his ass still elevated over the bed, and the whole entire end of the plug was buried in his ass.

She hadn’t even seen what happened….

“Hades, um, you okay there?” He mumbled something, and she flexed her fingertips against his ass. “Say what now?”

“Said, yes, ‘m fine, so good, needed it….”

She smiled, trying to keep from giggling as he shakily pushed himself back up into the position so often called “doggy style.” “Okay, well, glad I could give ya what you need.”

“Goddess, we’ve barely begun, don’t get too smug….” But the ecstatic, happy-beyond-words look he threw over his right shoulder left no doubt in her mind that she could be as smug as she wanted, because he was feeling so good. “Now, um, I know you know where a prostate is, and all that, but I don’t want you focusing too hard on that. Just, um, fuck my ass with the thing there, just get a feel for how the motion works, and then I’ll help you get the harness on correctly….”

“You got it, Hades.” She grabbed hold of the discus-shaped end of the plug’s handle and started pushing in, pulling out, slowly and carefully; he moved with her, soft pants and shallow grunts marking the ends of every movement back, every push forward. She tried to watch both his face from the side she could see over his shoulder and the way his skin and muscle moved around the invading presence of the plug; she glanced down every so often to see his penis and scrotum swaying heavily with the steady-rocking motions they were making together, and she felt her mouth beginning to water at the sight of the long strand of precum dangling from the flushed-midnight head of his shaft.

A few minutes went by, and the plug was moving obviously more easily inside his body. She could feel the difference: where at first there had been a resistance not unlike the suction from trying to uncork a fresh bottle of olive oil, now, even the swollen portion of the plug was peeking at her from the loosened ring of his anus on every pulling stroke.

“Hades, seems like I should have checked in on you more; you doing okay?”

He sniffed a little, seeming to smack his lips as if he’d just woken up. “Oh, um, hey, I’m doing great over here, you doing okay back there?”

She laughed, and he huffed a little giggle in return. “Wow, um, so, it’s going well?”

“So formal, little goddess….” She chuckled, happy he was turning her own banter back on her. “Yes, it’s great; that could be the nearly two hundred years of waiting, but damn, it’s just…. Heh…. What were you asking me?”

She burst out cackling, leaning over his ass a little; his back arched as her motion pressed the hilt of the plug and shoved the tip inside him upward, toward his spine. He hissed through his teeth, and she lurched backward.

“Oh my gods, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you!”

“Easy, little goddess; no damage done…. Since you let me go, though, let’s get you in your harness, hmmm?” He twisted and turned toward her, still on his hands and knees, and she felt a thrill race down her spine and up from her crotch as he stared her down, need and desire plain in his wide-blown pupils and crimson irises.

She must have looked a little afraid, because he immediately sat up, his hips jerking forward even as he threw his hands to cover his fully erect cock. “Gods, Persephone, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you; I’m not going to do anything you don’t want; did you still w-w-want…?” He stumbled to a halt, and she shook her head a little to clear the fog of lust.

“I wasn’t scared; I was… turned on? Yeah, turned on by how you were looking at me….”

His mouth dropped open, but his hands stayed where they were, shielding her from the part of him he’d sworn to never use to hurt her. “Oh…. Well, um…. The, the, um, harness, did you still…?”

“Yes. Help me get it set up right?”

He crawled over the bed then, biting his lip as the plug inside him shifted with the motions. He laid the dildo carefully to one side, his fingers trailing reverently over the thing, a longing look drifting into his eyes. She smiled for him when he laid the straps out with ease; he obviously knew what he was doing.

_Which doesn’t make sense if…._

“Hades, you said two hundred years?! What the hell, that makes no sense!” He stared at her, and she realized she’d hit him with his cursing kink again. “Oops.”

He shook his head, his hair curtaining his eyes as he turned back to the straps, giving a few final tweaks to the layout. “Um, the last partner I had before, um, Minthe…. We went our disparate ways about a hundred and ninety years ago, so…. And, um, _she_ never wanted…. That wasn’t something she liked.”

_And you can’t, on your own…?_

“Hades, what about, um…. They make dildos with suction cups, you could have played by yourself…!”

“Heh. Theoretically, yes, but oddly enough, little goddess, as much as I love being penetrated, I don’t like to work too hard for my pleasure. I have never liked riding atop, and mounting a dick on the shower door seems too crude for comfort.”

She stared as he smirked at her, and she was the one to shake her head this time. “That was a lot of info there; I’ll process all that later….”

He smiled, waving a hand over the carefully arranged straps. “Just as well; your harness, my goddess.”

He pointed out the way the crotch straps and the hip straps slid up and down and around each other; that had been what threw her before, not realizing each strap moved independent of the others by design. He stayed there on his hands and knees as she climbed off the bed and worked the thing into place over her shorts, tightening the buckles down after slipping the dildo through the ring on the front. She looked up at him, proud of getting it on correctly this time, and he was looking her over, seeming somehow dissatisfied. She fought down the panic, instead cocking her hip out to the side and extending her arms like wings.

“Well? What do you think?”

“I don’t think you’ve got it quite in the right position, goddess. May I assist you?”

She dropped her hands and tugged her t-shirt back into place around her tummy. “Sure, but only if you tell me what I did wrong?”

“Nothing terrible, it’s easy to miss. I need to reach around you, is that okay?”

“Uh-huh.”

He knelt on the bed, his cock twitching above his thighs as he settled himself. He leaned toward her, reaching around her waist, and she felt him grab the strap encircling her waist. He made sure he wasn’t holding her shirt or the top of her shorts, and then he _tugged_ , yanking upward on the crotch straps where they met the waist-band of the harness.

She squeaked as the harness adjusted, and the base of the dildo settled over the lowest part of her mons.

“Oooooh….” She wriggled experimentally, delighted at the slight pressure and friction as the dildo swayed with her motions.

“Yeah, it’s an easy thing to miss, like I said; just tighten everything down fresh, and then that should do it.”

He began repositioning himself in the center of the bed facing the headboard once again as she gave the entire harness a quick once over for tension and placement. She climbed back up, walking on her knees closer to him, noting that the plug had inched its way deeper into his body during all the back and forth.

_Okay. Almost there…._

“Hades, should I lube the dildo before I pull the plug out?”

“Um, that’s entirely up to you, but honestly, I’d prefer not to be left empty too long….” He swayed his ass in a little figure eight, teasing her with a smile in his voice.

She laughed, happy that he was happy, and the tender caring warmth around her heart that had only grown since the day she told him about the rape swelled even further at the thought of making him happier still.

“Okay, hang on then.”

She squirted lube onto the dildo and into her palm, covering the entire molded length in shining wetness before she dried her hand on the towel again. She put her right hand over his opposite ass-cheek this time, and his soft-swaying tease slowed to a stop.

“Okay, any tricks to the trade here?”

“Um, just go slow, and when it feels like it’s stuck, let me do most of the work. And, um, I cleaned up in there, but you never know, so please tell me if you’re too grossed out….”

“Eh. I’ve spread manure on the fields before; can’t be nearly as bad as that.”

He burst out laughing at her assessment of the comparison, collapsing to the mattress again as his whole body jerked with the spasms. She waited patiently, her hand around the base of the plug, until he pushed back up from the bed again with a sigh.

“Here we go, then, Hades….”

She did just as he’d said: the thing moved pretty smoothly, until almost the widest part of the head was nearing his entrance. She simply kept up the tension then, and he _pushed_ again, and in a sudden slide, the plug left his body. He wriggled as he was left empty, and she leaned as far as she could to drop the plug to the far corner of the bed. She was happy to see that it was, in fact, rather free of any smears other than the liberal traces of the lube.

She rose onto her knees then, her ass leaving her thighs, and she kept her right hand on his ass as he finally slowed his needy little movements. She gripped her dildo near the middle, placed the tip against his anus, and took a deep breath.

“Ready, Hades?”

He breathed in deeply as well, and his answer was a whisper of contentment and love. “Yes, Persephone….”

She pressed forward with her left hand and hips, and he _pushed_ hard: she felt the straining in his ass-cheek under her right palm. She stared as his cornflower-blue body swallowed up the magenta silicone, and her hands shifted to grip his delightfully narrow waist as he gasped and lurched forward when the dildo finally slid into him without resistance.

He moaned as his head fell forward once again, and she leaned forward, uncertain why she felt the need to kiss him between his shoulder-blades as he panted heavily beneath her.

She held still, not sure what the right move was at this point; it felt like she should wait for him to tell her he was ready for more, whatever _more_ might be, but gods, she wanted to move: the pressure on her mons was driving her crazy from the too-still feeling.

Finally, his breathing seemed to quiet, and he rocked a little back and forth. She stayed where she was, holding onto his waist and leaned over his back, her chest pressing into his ribs even as the base of the dildo pressed into her crotch. She kissed his spine again, and he returned the gesture with a happy little hum.

She couldn’t take it anymore.

“Hades, should I fuck you now…?”

He chuckled, the sound a lot quieter than he’d been earlier on. “Sure, goddess; but could I lay down? I want to enjoy this.”

_He’s so quiet; not just volume, his whole tone, every inflection…._

_Whoa…._

_That’s awesome…._

“Uh huh; I just move with you, yeah?”

He hummed agreement, already shifting his body forward so his hips hit the mattress before his chest. He rocked downward from the bottom up, and she shifted with him, loving the subtle twinges of pleasure arcing up from her groin, the spreading warmth that left her feeling awfully damp between her thighs.

He sighed as he settled into place, his arms folded and his forehead braced on top of the uppermost. She adjusted her knees beside his thighs, enjoying the spread-open feeling in her crotch now. She could feel the straps cupping her ass, pinching just slighting along the creases where her thighs met her vulva. She’d moved her hands to the mattress as they “landed,” and she flattened her palms to the sheets, readying herself for the action.

But then she realized….

“Hades, aren’t you smooshing your dick?!”

He chuckled, still quiet, and she wondered why that made her feel all powerful and all-powerful. “Not exactly. Yes, it’s beneath me right now, but remember, this isn’t about that part of me. Please don’t worry about it; I promise I’ll tell you if anything hurts. Please fuck me now?” He smiled; she could tell by the way his ears shifted beneath his hair.

“You asked for it…!” She braced herself on her hands and knees, slung her hips up and back, and let gravity carry her back down.

He gasped, delight and pleasure the only meaning in the sound, and she kept going, fucking him hard and happy he liked it. His gasps shifted randomly to hums and pants, quiet grunts and tiny moans as she pounded into him, the exertion forcing her to breathe heavily to match him.

Eventually, though it must only have been a few minutes if that, she was beginning to tire. She remembered a different position from the book Eros had given her, and she thought how fun it would be, given the massive size difference between her and Hades.

She slowed down long enough to crawl up him a few inches, her knees closer to the swell of his hips now and her wrists along the widening parts of his ribcage. She leaned down over him again, wrapping her arms under his biceps and bringing her cheek to the middle of the broad expanse of his back. Laid over him like this she simply rolled her hips up and down, a little back and forth, and once she was sure her dildo wasn’t going to slip out of him, she pulled with her arms a little, and he spasmed in a sudden thrashing shiver.

His gasp for breath stuttered and his head twisted to the right, straining to see her from the corner of his eye. She leaned up a little, and he moaned brokenly, his hips twitching beneath her.

“Hades? Does it hurt?”

“No, fuck, you… _fuck, woman_ , you…. _Shit, my goddess, fuck me!_ ”

She rolled her hips against him a little more forcefully, watching as his eye rolled up and his mouth went beyond slack.

“Hades, did I find your prostate after all?”

The sounds he made might have been language on an alien planet, but she knew what he meant.

“Alright, just relax, enjoy yourself, okay?”

“ _Uh-hrn, pleasedohnstahp!”_

“Wouldn’t dream of it, my King….”

She fucked him, steady as the tides, and her quiet-happy King dissolved into a needy-whimpering mess beneath her. She was very careful to keep her motions exactly the same as they had been when she first started nailing his prostate; she remembered reading that _that_ was one of the key components to the perfect prostate orgasm, steady, exact manipulation and stimulation.

She felt it through the dildo when the tremors started deep inside his pelvic muscles; his thighs began to shake, too, and the spasms traveled up his body, until he was literally quaking beneath her. She kept going, kept fucking him, until the storm broke and he thrashed, hard, jerking in her hold so she barely managed to stay on top of him.

That same wild mountain cat that had stalked that fawn all those years ago had clung to the spotted creature’s back when it made the kill, bearing the deer to the ground through sheer mass and strength.

She rode her King, forcing him to ecstasy beneath herself, clinging to him desperately as he exploded from the pleasure she’d given him, the pleasure she’d torn from him with careful motions and needful intent….

The Queen she was becoming smiled with her lips, and the warmth within her soul blossomed into something new, something beyond powerful in its claim on her life:

She was strong enough to bring a King of the Cosmos to the breaking point….

She was strong enough to rule beside him….

She was strong enough to find her place at his side, in his throne room, in his realm, in his very bed….

The seeds had been planted the night he carried her from his car and into his home with tenderness and compassion and ruthless protectiveness.

She had grown in that respect and dignity he ensured she knew was hers.

She had put down roots, here in the dark beneath the earth, when everything else was stripped away in blinding yellow light, by hateful purple hands.

Her vines had lengthened in this enormous house, binding she to Hades and he to her as they became _more_ , _together._

As they bloomed….

And even the thorns of her rapist’s continued mistakes, and Hades’ dark power, and her own dread attraction to that darkness….

Not even those thorns could hurt them now….

Because together, they’d built a trellis made of love and respect and honesty, and that was all that would ever matter to the Queen of the Underworld….

_Fin_

(or is it…?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahem.... You may have noticed this particular work is now listed as Part One of a series....
> 
> Oops. I did it again....
> 
> I have lots more ideas for things for this version of Persedes to try.... LOOOOOTS more....
> 
> Hence, this particular story is done, but the fun ain't over yet!
> 
> I make no promises on when. I make no promises on how often. I make no promises on format (multiple fics, or a single multi-chapter thing). 
> 
> But I do promise, Dread Curiosities is coming for you....
> 
> One day....
> 
> Now, I hope y'all finally got the whole metaphor I built with the chapter titles. If not, shame (just a touch, mostly, just look it over again, please, thanks, I worked hard to get this to work).
> 
> Lastly, but by no means leastly, thank you so much for following along on this journey. What started as a prompt that was obviously leading to a John Wick-esque manhunt type of thing turned into a "wick-ed" sex-plorations fic....
> 
> I thank you all for supporting the muses of all sort and description in my headspace; we couldn't have done it without you....
> 
> Once again, enjoy this openly until April 2nd. At that point, this fic will get locked to registered Ao3 users only. Additionally, whenever Dread Curiosities gets going, it will also be locked to registered users only. 
> 
> AKA - you want the continuing smoot, getchu an account, please and thank you....
> 
> I have really enjoyed diving deeper into a fresh version of Persedes with this. It's been a while since I stuck so close to canon; it felt really brand-new!
> 
> Thank you all, I'm rambling, it's almost two in the morning, but the muses demanded I reward the fans for their overwhelmingly stoic patience....
> 
> Much love from Swoonie, my various Erebus-es, curious Persephone, dorkly Hades, all the Pack, my plot-kink-etc muses, and my own doggoes and pony-face.... 
> 
> Enjoy the night, little ones....
> 
> Edit added on April 7 2020 - I realized I meant to drop this link when I uploaded this chapter. I've had some people in the community get curious about my writing process, and I have to say that my process is by no means "normal." I tend to not even remember how I actually write out my fics. I go into a writing session with an idea that I've stewed on for days or even weeks or months, and I just kinda.... My brain shuts down, my headspace friends kinda take over, and there we go. I "wake up" after the fact, and the initial re-read for me is almost a new experience that first time. I usually only make very few edits - mostly for flow or mild grammatical shit - before a particular section is "done." The "bare bones" I get after the writing session is usually 90% ready for upload at that point. Here's a link to a screen recording I did for the second section of this chapter - watch or don't, either is fine. I provide it here for your enjoyment and sharing of my headspace. 
> 
> Also, my keystrokes are rather... they function like white noise for me, they soothe and calm. So, enjoy that....
> 
> And yes, I do type fast. I worked with a college student who had cerebral palsy. I was his tutor/secretary/scribe/friend for more than three years. My typing skills were acceptable before; call me SwiftStrokeSwoonie now, though....
> 
> https://drive.google.com/open?id=1FN3gxLUCGLXunBnwMcRwo0iCBChIWdRn

**Author's Note:**

> One final note:
> 
> Myself and other fanfic writers have recently been made aware that some readers of the canon (and fics based upon the canon) of Lore Olympus believe that Rachel is “stealing” ideas from us. 
> 
> Allow me to be blunt:
> 
> Nothing could be less true. 
> 
> Any similarity between my works of fanfiction (and those of other fic-writers) and the Lore Olympus canon is due to the authors’ use of common source material, in the form of Greek myths, as well as being a devoted superfan and paying attention to Rachel’s carefully-placed and exquisitely-crafted details. Any time there is an overlap of plot, even to the point of a single iota or detail, it is only due to coincidence or careful work on the fanfic author’s part. 
> 
> When these details show up in canon, the fanfic authors - myself included - feel nothing but joy upon having guessed correctly. 
> 
> All of this to say - fanfiction is fiction-produced-by-fans-for-fan-consumption-from-an-overabundance-of-fandom-love. No one is stealing anything from anyone. 
> 
> Ever and always, the characters, settings, specifics of plot, and details of design all are borrowed temporarily from Rachel Smythe for my work herein as a fanfiction creator. I hope you've enjoyed, and thank you for playing, once more, in my headspace.... 
> 
> -Swoonie, 30 March 2020


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